The Power To Decide! Prevent Unplanned Pregnancy

Women in the military need access to safe and effective forms of contraception for family planning, treatment of menstrual disorders and, if desired, for menstrual suppression.

There are many options available for preventing pregnancy, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the most appropriate contraceptive method should be based on safety, effectiveness, availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability of the contraceptives.

Various resources, such as the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center Women’s Health page can help in learning about and making the best contraceptive choices for you.

• 97% of women in the military are of reproductive age.
• Twice as many active-duty women aged 18-44 reported an unintended pregnancy compared to their civilian counterparts.
• 1 in 6 service members (16.8 %) did not use any birth control when they had vaginal sex.
• Unplanned pregnancies among active duty military service women reached 65.6 %, well above the national average of 50%.