Overview of VA research on

Women's Health

Introduction

Women are the fastest growing group of the Veteran population, with more than 2 million women Veterans living in the U.S. today. With this growth comes an ever-increasing need to deliver the most efficient, effective, and timely care to women Veterans. VA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) is committed to improving the health and health care of women Veterans by supporting research that improves evidence-based care and practice.

Scientists in VA’s research program are conducting research across the scientific translational spectrum – including biomedical, clinical, rehabilitation, and health systems science – with the ultimate goal of improving the health and health care of women Veterans. VA ORD supports and funds research in health care areas relevant to women Veterans across the lifespan such as: primary and preventive care, mental health and substance use disorder, suicide prevention, cancer, chronic medical conditions, military exposures, aging, prosthetics and rehabilitation, and violence prevention, among many others.

Primary and preventative care: Research in this area focuses on patient centered care, treatment of common illnesses, and relationships between patients and primary care providers (for example: doctors, nurses, and physician assistants), among other areas. Some current work in primary care focuses on patient experiences with VA Women’s Health Care services.

Mental health and substance use disorder: Research in this area focuses on mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders, among others. Recent work in this area has focused on post-deployment mental health care services for women Veterans.

Suicide prevention: A priority of VA research, suicide prevention research seeks to understand the predictors of suicide risk as well as interventions to reduce or prevent suicidal thoughts and actions. Recent work has looked at suicidal behavior in older Veterans.

Cancer: Research looks at how Veterans’ military experiences and lifestyle choices may impact the development of certain cancers. Identifying and characterizing biological and molecular markers of ovarian and breast cancers is a current area of VA cancer research.

Chronic conditions: Chronic medical conditions that impact women Veterans include autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic pain, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, and sleep disorders, among others. Active research that focuses on these conditions, for example, includes studies on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and insomnia in women Veterans.

Prosthetics and rehabilitation: Studies in this area focus on rehabilitation and prosthetic and sensory aides to improve functional outcomes and quality of life for Veterans. Recent research has looked at needs of women Veterans specifically regarding upper and lower limb prostheses.

Violence prevention: Research in violence prevention examines intimate partner violence, domestic violence, military sexual trauma, and harassment, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care. Recent research at VA has looked at novel interventions, including trauma-sensitive yoga, in female Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma.

Notable Collaborations

The DoD-VA Women’s Health Research Collaborative explores opportunities to further advance improvements in women’s health across the lifespan, from active military duty into Veteran and civilian status. This collaborative is a formal sub-workgroup of the VA-DoD Women’s Health Workgroup of the Health Executive Committee Clinical Care Business Line.

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