title: Women veterans' reproductive health preferences and experiences: a focus group analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although women veterans are seeking care at the Veterans Administration (VA) in record numbers, there is little information regarding women veterans' experiences and preferences for reproductive health care services. We sought to characterize women veterans' experiences with, and preferences for, reproductive health services in the VA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted five focus groups with a total of 25 participants using a semistructured interview guide to elicit women veterans' experiences and preferences with reproductive health care. Women veterans' utilizing VA health care at two VA facilities who responded to advertisements were selected on a first-come basis to participate in the study. We analyzed transcripts of these audio-recorded sessions using the constant comparative method of grounded theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five main themes emerged from the focus group discussions: 1) Women veterans prefer VA women's clinics for comprehensive medical care; 2) Women veterans have had both positive and negative reproductive health experiences in the VA; 3) Women veterans experience knowledge gaps regarding VA coverage for reproductive health services; 4) Women veterans believe the VA should provide additional coverage for advanced infertility care and for newborns; and 5) Perceived gender discrimination shapes how women veterans view the VA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the VA continues to tailor its services to women veterans, attention should be given to women's reproductive health care needs.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 950 Campbell Avenue, New Haven, CT 06516, USA. Kristin.mattocks@va.gov
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mattocks
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nikolajski
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haskell
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCall-Hosenfeld
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Tan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Sonya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borrero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D057240:Patient Preference; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011287:Prejudice; D034121:Reproductive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*