Impact of Family Planning Decisions Among Women in the U.S. Military

As of 2022, 17.5% of active duty service members are female, a population vulnerable to delayed family building because of deployments, geographic relocations, occupational hazards, and career progression demands. Despite increasing access to leadership roles, systemic support for reproductive planning remains inconsistent. The objective of this study was to evaluate how fertility planning affects career progression and retention among active duty military women.

From June 2020 to December 2023, we conducted an IRB-approved, cross-sectional, anonymous survey with embedded qualitative responses at a single tri-service military medical center. Eligible participants were women with current or prior military service. Survey domains included demographics, military career and deployment history, reproductive knowledge, fertility care access, and perceived impacts on career and family planning. Descriptive statistics summarized trends, t-tests, and chi-square tests were used for comparisons.

Among 185 respondents (mean age 32.7 years), 98.9% were active duty; 48.1% had been deployed, with a mean of 2.1 deployments and 3.5 permanent change of station moves. Most participants (74.1%) were partnered; of these, 33.0% were actively trying to conceive. A majority delayed family building for career reasons (71.9%), and 30.3% reported being passed over for a position because of reproductive plans. Although 75.7% and 90.3% were aware of embryo and egg cryopreservation, respectively, 73.0% were unaware of whether the military offered these services.

Family-building decisions among military women are significantly impacted by career-related demands. Routine counseling and broader access to fertility preservation services are critical to support reproductive autonomy and long-term retention in the Armed Forces.