Long-acting Reversible Contraception Among Homeless Women Veterans With Chronic Health Conditions: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Gawron LM, Redd A, Suo Y, Pettey W, Turok DK, Gundlapalli AV. Long-acting Reversible Contraception Among Homeless Women Veterans With Chronic Health Conditions: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Medical care. 2017 Sep 1; 55 Suppl 9 Suppl 2:S111-S120.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• IIR 12-084 – Current Evidence and Early Warning Indicators of Homelessness Risk Among Veterans

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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.