Women veterans are a growing population as patients at Veterans Administration hospitals, say those who work with them.
“The VA system has been working very hard to try to provide services to tailor to the needs of female veterans,” said Janet Wilmoth, a Syracuse University sociology professor who studies veterans’ health. “But a lot of work needs to be done.”
About 3,000 female veterans are registered with the women’s clinic at the Syracuse VA hospital, according to Gordon Sclar, director of public affairs. Some are returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Most go for primary care services. Some take advantage of more specialized procedures, surgeries and therapy.
These specialized treatments are available to female veterans because studies show they have some special health concerns. Among them:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD
The syndrome develops after experiencing a traumatic event. Out of the 50 percent of women veterans have experienced such an event during their military service, 20 percent develop PTSD, say VA officials.
- Military Sexual Trauma
If a veteran has been sexually assaulted or harassed in the military and is still affected by the experience, the veteran is eligible for free services to treat the trauma. Both men and women are victims, but more are female, say VA officials.
“For instance, you might screen 1,000 men and get 10,” with sexual trauma, said Janice Creamer, who works with at the VA’s outpatient clinic on Erie Boulevard and coordinates care for its patients with military sexual trauma. Said Creamer, “You might screen 100 female veterans and get the same number.”
- Cancer
Among the estimated 1.2 million female veterans nationally , the rate of those with breast cancer is double that of the non-veteran population, say VA officials. The Syracuse VA offers mammography services and breast exams to detect cancer, as well as chemotherapy and radiation for treatment. It’s not clear why women veterans have such a disproportionate rate of breast cancer, but the VA continues research to look for a common cause, say officials.
Dolores Reed, 78, is the representative for the Syracuse Military Women of America chapter and a veteran from the Korean War era. Several women in the national organization who’ve come back from Iraq and have been diagnosed with breast cancer, she said.
“They think it has something to do with contamination from the sand in Iraq,” Reed said. In her position, she advocates for female veterans who don’t get the care they need. “They’re just beginning to realize the trend, but it’s not very well researched yet.”
As for expanding the Syracuse VA program, a new therapy group for women veterans will begin Jan. 12, said VA officials.
(Rebecca Shabad is a senior with dual majors in broadcast journalism and political science.)
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