Military Fertility: It's Complicated

Date Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2016

Category: Health Care - National

Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie,a retired colonel and forensic psychiatrist who specializes in military, veterans and women's health issues, advocates for the military to better educate servicemembers on birth control during basic training as well as counseling women on long-term birth control options. While some contraception is available to women and men, access to it can be challenging stateside, before deployment, and during deployment. Additionally, for families with trouble conceiving, fertility preservation is not a service offered by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Serving Our Veterans" is a network of fertility clinics offering "deeply discounted" care to veterans whose service-related injuries impaired their fertility. To find a clinic, visit the "Service for Assisted Reproductive Technology Service to Veteran List."

Read the full article at: U.S. News