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Female veterans may qualify for gender-specific benefits

On Behalf of | Jul 27, 2015 | Veterans' Benefits

For some people, the thought of military veterans conjures up a picture of men who served in past wars, such as Vietnam. Those men are a very important part of the veteran demographic, but they aren’t the only part. Woman can qualify as veterans if they have served in the armed forces.

As it stands now, women comprise up to 15 percent of the service members on active duty. They make up about 18 percent of the service members in the National Guard and Reserve forces. When these women are no longer in the military, they qualify for the same benefits as men, as long as they meet the requirements for those benefits.

There are some special considerations for women who have served in the military. As such, female veterans can often receive special services that are gender specific. Some of these include medical care for Pap smears, mammography, contraceptives, preventative care, breast examinations, pelvic examinations and reproductive counseling.

The women who are seeking gender-specific services can go through the Women Veterans’ Coordinators to get the care they need. This helps to preserve the privacy of the women.

Women who were subjected to sexual trauma in the military also have special services available. This includes counseling and treatment. This is one service that is available even without a service-related disability.

It is vital for women who served in the military to understand that they can receive veterans’ benefits as long as they qualify. In some cases, learning about the available options can help women to decide which benefits would best suit their specific needs.

Source: Military.com, “Women Veterans,” accessed July 28, 2015