Long-acting Reversible Contraception Among Homeless Women Veterans With Chronic Health Conditions: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Issue 9 (September 2017) - Gawron, Lori M.
Abstract : Background: US women Veterans are at increased risk of homelessness and chronic health conditions associated with unintended pregnancy. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) can assist in healthy pregnancy planning. Objectives: To evaluate perinatal risk factors and LARC exposure in ever-homeless women Veterans. Research Design: A retrospective cohort study of women Veterans using VHA administrative data from fiscal years 2002–2015. Subjects: We included 41, 747 ever-homeless women Veterans age 18–44 years and 46, 391 housed women Veterans matched by military service period. A subgroup of 7773 ever-homeless and 8674 matched housed women Veterans deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan [Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND)] conflicts comprised a second analytic cohort. Measures: Descriptive statistics compared demographic, military, health conditions, and LARC exposure in ever-homeless versus housed women Veterans. Multivariable logistic regression explored factors associated with LARC exposure in the OEF/OIF/OND subgroup. Results: All health conditions were significantly higher in ever-homeless versus housed Veterans: mental health disorder in 84.5% versus 48.7% ( P <0.001), substance abuse in 35.8% versus 8.6% ( P <0.001), and medical conditions in 74.7% versus 55.6% ( P <0.001). LARC exposure among all VHA users was 9.3% in ever-homeless Veterans versus 5.4% in housed Veterans ( P <0.001). LARC exposure in the OEF/OIF/OND cohort was 14.1% in ever-homeless Veterans versus 8.2% in housed Veterans ( P <0.001). In the OEF/OIF/OND cohort, homelessness along Veterans with medical and mental health indicators were leading LARC exposure predictors. Conclusions: The VHA is successfully engaging homeless women Veterans and providing LARC access. The prevalence of perinatal risk factors in ever-homeless women Veterans highlights a need for further programmatic enhancements to improve reproductive planning.