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The recent expansion of women in the military has changed the face of the veteran population. In anticipation of the growing number of women veterans and recognition of their special healthcare needs, VA developed a comprehensive women's health research agenda to inform VA healthcare policy and services and ensure accessible, quality care for women veterans.
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With a broad focus on biomedical, clinical, rehabilitation, and health services research, this agenda positions VA as a national leader in women's health research and, in particular, in establishing the knowledge and evidence needed to improve the health and healthcare of women veterans.
Recent research has focused on such areas as the organization and delivery of VA healthcare services to women veterans; access and quality of care; special healthcare needs related to military deployment or the prevalence of co-morbid conditions; gender disparities in care; and effective treatments in women veterans for conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder. VA's continually expanding body of research is providing critical insight into the development of improved access, treatment, and care for the approximately 1.7 million* women veterans in the US. Here are just a few examples of the research being conducted in the area of women veterans' health:
Women historically have served in the military and they continue to do so in growing numbers today. Women currently represent about 14 percent of active duty forces and 20 percent of new military recruits. Of the 27 million veterans in the US, women comprise approximately 2 million—a number projected to increase to 10 percent by the year 2010.
*Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Table 510
