Prevent Unplanned Pregnancies

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.

Illustration of man having trouble sleep in bed

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%.

Mobile phone with the Decide+ Be Ready App on the screen

FINDING THE RIGHT BIRTH CONTROL METHOD

Decide + Be Ready App is designed to help you make decisions regarding contraception.

Please download the App or visit one of the open contraceptive walk-in clinics for more information or to learn more.

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
7700 Arlington Blvd. Ste. 5113 Falls Church, VA 22042-5113
This is an official U.S. Navy website
This is a Department of Defense (DoD) Internet computer system.

General Navy Medical Inquiries (to Bureau of Medicine and Surgery): usn.ncr.bumedfchva.mbx.bumed-general-inquiries@health.mil