Military sexual trauma and gynecologic disorders amongst reproductive-aged Veterans

Military sexual trauma (MST) is experienced by at least 1 in 3 women Veterans. MST is associated with adverse consequences, including both mental and physical. A potential impact of MST on gynecological health has been proposed, but few studies exist to evaluate this hypothesis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the association between MST and gynecological conditions among reproductive-aged Veterans receiving prenatal care within the Veterans Health Administration (VA). The Center for Maternal & Infant Outcomes Research in Translation (COMFORT) is a mixed methods study conducted across 16 VA facilities nationwide. We identified prevalent gynecologic conditions using ICD-10 codes in the VA electronic health record. Military sexual harassment and military sexual assault were determined from an adapted version of the VA universal MST screening questions asked during the prenatal interview and used to classify. history of experiencing MST (yes/no). The association of MST with gynecologic conditions was evaluated in multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for potential confounders. Among COMFORT participants (n=1324), 709 (55%) reported ever experiencing MST. A higher prevalence of gynecologic conditions was observed among those who experienced MST (n=258, 19.5%) compared to 14.6% of those who had not experienced MST (p=0.05). Higher prevalence of gynecologic disease among those with MST vs. no MST was observed in multivariable models, as well (aOR – 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.3;. Our study suggests that MST is associated with gynecologic disorders. Further research should focus on examining these associations in a cohort of non-perinatal women in both rural and urban environments as well as examining gynecologic conditions separately instead of combined, as well as treatment for MST and diagnosis outside of the VA.