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Although >350,000 women are now serving in the U.S. military, access to reliable contraception remains poor, partially explaining why unintended pregnancy rates are as high as 60% in these women (JW Womens Health Oct 25 2012). Women who are deployed face unique problems in procuring reliable contraception as well as accessing abortion services. Little data exist, however, about specific barriers to reproductive health services in this population. Researchers conducted two studies to explore issues of contraceptive access during deployment and the larger concern of unintended pregnancy in active-duty U.S. servicewomen.
The investigators first analyzed data from a 2008 Department of Defense survey of health-related behaviors (7225 completed su…