Veterans Having Trouble Conceiving May Be Eligible for VA Fertility Care
April 04, 2020
For couples who want to start or expand their families, infertility may come as a painful surprise. The devastation caused by infertility cannot be understated, and fertility treatments can be cost-prohibitive. However, military couples who are experiencing difficulty getting pregnant could be able to receive fertility care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Infertility is officially diagnosed when a couple has been trying to conceive for at least 12 months without getting pregnant. While assistance for couples in getting pregnant exists, it remains out of reach for many who desperately need and want it.
Data shows that female veterans have much more trouble getting and staying pregnant than do non-military women. A 2018 survey conducted by the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) found that women who served in the military reported having trouble conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term at three times the average rate in the United States, which is around 12 percent for women ages 15 to 44 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many underlying issues or injuries can contribute to infertility. When it is a service-related condition that is responsible, VA fertility services may be able to help. These include diagnostic and laboratory tests for the man and/or the woman and services such as genetic counseling, hormonal therapies, medicine, surgery, reversal of tubal ligation and vasectomy, and more.
Assistive reproductive technology treatments may also be available to some eligible couples, such as intrauterine insemination and in-vitro fertilization (IVF), through referrals to community care partners. VA healthcare covers up to three IVF cycles in some cases. Eligibility for these treatments is determined on a case-by-case basis.
To begin the process of qualifying for VA fertility care, interested individuals should contact a VA provider for a consultation to determine the cause of infertility. The provider will then potentially give a referral to a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) specialist within the community when appropriate.
Veterans, to qualify for this benefit, must be legally married, affected by a service-related condition that causes infertility, have an intact uterus, and either the ability to produce eggs/sperm or their own cryopreserved eggs/sperm.