A recent study has discovered that the rate of unintended pregnancy among women in the military is double that of the general public. In a study conducted by the non-profit organization Ibis Reproductive Health, it was reported that an estimated 10.5 percent of active duty women reported an unplanned pregnancy in the twelve months prior to 2008. Comparatively, only about 5.2 percent of non-military women report unplanned pregnancy every year. Researchers were surprised by this number, due to the fact that women in the military are offered some of the best health care in the nation, including free birth control.
Tackling A Growing Problem
The Ibis study was based on surveys conducted by the Department of Defense on over 7,000 active-duty women, which revealed that over 900 women were unable to be deployed last year due to pregnancy. Researchers are saying that, while birth control is offered by the military, women either don’t know about it, or find it hard to obtain. Because military policies forbid sexual relations between service members, this led some women to believe contraceptions weren’t offered. In fact, a survey of TRICARE, the military health insurance program, reveals that 60 percent of deployed women did not speak with a military provider about their contraceptive options. Additionally, 41 percent of deployed women who had a prescription for a contraceptive reported that refills were often difficult to procure.
Researchers are also pointing a finger at the high rate of sexual assault in the military as a possible cause for unplanned pregnancies. Troublingly, the Department of Defense estimates that there are as many as 19,000 cases of sexual assault in the military per year, but only 1,108 troops filed for an investigation last year. Sexual assault has gotten so bad that it has reported that active-duty women have a higher chance of being sexually assaulted than being killed in combat.
Abortion is also difficult for active-duty women. While military facilities offer abortions in cases of rape, incest, or if the pregnancy threatens the life of the woman, many women fear repercussions, and don’t come forward. If a woman opts to go off-base for medical care, they could be putting their life at risk.
While the Navy has taken great steps to ensure active-duty personnel are properly supplied with contraceptives, researchers acknowledged that more needs to be done across all branches of the military. “These findings highlight an important public health problem within the military that has not been adequately addressed,” the study authors wrote.
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