Your Reproductive Health Is Part of Your Service
Your reproductive health carried a cost of service that too few people talk about — and it is one of the most under-claimed areas of care and compensation for women veterans. The birth control you were directed to take in uniform, the surgeries you needed, the chronic conditions you still live with, and the lasting effects of all of it: the VA covers the care, and when your service caused the harm, the law says you can be paid for it. Most women were never told any of this.
You will not have to leave this page to understand any of it. Below we lay out exactly what the VA covers, what is ratable and at what percentage, the actual language of the regulations that decide your claim — including the full rating schedule at 38 CFR §4.116 and the Special Monthly Compensation for loss of a creative organ — whether you qualify, and the step-by-step of how to file. Everything you need is right here, in plain English.
Birth Control & Contraception
The VA covers every FDA-approved method of birth control at no cost to enrolled veterans, along with the counseling to choose what fits your body and your life. You never need to justify your choice — the decision is yours, and it stays between you and your provider.
The pill, patch & ring
Daily, weekly, or monthly hormonal options — fully covered, with the counseling to help you choose the one that fits your body and your routine.
IUDs (hormonal & copper)
Long-acting and reversible — 3 to 10 years of protection. Insertion, removal, and replacement are all covered at no cost.
The implant & the shot
A small arm implant (up to 3 years) or a shot every 3 months — no daily routine to keep up with, and nothing to remember.
Emergency contraception
Available through the VA when you need it, promptly and without judgment. You never have to explain yourself.
Permanent options
Tubal procedures for those who are certain their family is complete — with full, unhurried informed-consent counseling first.
Counseling & follow-up
Confidential help matching a method to your health, your goals, and your life — and changing it whenever your needs change.
Birth control during service — and its lasting effects
Many women were placed on continuous hormonal birth control in uniform — often to suppress a monthly period in the field, on deployment, or aboard ship where privacy and supplies were scarce. That was a practical reality of serving. Years of continuous hormonal use can carry real effects: shifts in mood and bone density, blood-clot risk, and changes that surface long after discharge. If a provider connects a current condition to birth control you were directed to take in service, that connection can support a claim for service connection under 38 CFR §3.304. Your health during service is part of your record — and part of what you earned care for.
Gynecological & Reproductive Conditions
These conditions are common, they are ratable, and they are frequently under-claimed by women veterans. Each is rated by the VA under the gynecological schedule at 38 CFR §4.116 — on the severity of your symptoms and how they affect your daily life, not on the diagnosis alone. The diagnostic codes below are shown for your reference — the full criteria for each are explained right here on this page.
Endometriosis
10% • 30% • 50%Diagnostic Code 7629
Rated on how well your symptoms are controlled. Pelvic pain or heavy bleeding needing continuous treatment starts at 10%; symptoms not controlled by treatment reach 30%; lesions confirmed by laparoscopy involving the bowel or bladder, with symptoms, can reach 50%. A laparoscopy diagnosis and a nexus to service are the keys to the claim.
Uterine fibroids & polyps
VariesRated under §4.116
Benign growths that can cause heavy bleeding, pain, and anemia. Rated on the symptoms they cause and any surgery required — and often the reason behind a later hysterectomy.
Ovarian conditions & cysts
VariesDiagnostic Code 7615
Recurrent cysts, PCOS-related complications, and disease of the ovaries — rated on symptoms and the treatment required. Removal of an ovary opens the door to Special Monthly Compensation.
Chronic pelvic pain
VariesSymptom-based rating
Persistent pain from adhesions, nerve damage, or scarring. Documented pain and functional loss support a rating even without a single named diagnosis — the pain itself is the disability.
Hysterectomy, Surgery & What It's Worth
If service-connected disease led to the removal of your uterus or ovaries, the VA rates it under 38 CFR §4.116. These are not small ratings — and many women are never told they qualify for more.
100% for 3 months
After any hysterectomy, a total rating applies for three months to cover surgery and recovery. per §4.116
50% — Diagnostic Code 7617
When the uterus and both ovaries are removed, the ongoing rating is 50%. DC 7617
30% — Diagnostic Code 7618
When the uterus is removed but not both ovaries (or a partial removal), the ongoing rating is 30%. DC 7618
Plus Special Monthly Compensation
Loss of a creative organ (uterus or ovaries) can add SMC — additional monthly pay on top of your rating. §3.350
Important: The Special Monthly Compensation for loss of a creative organ is separate from your disability rating and is one of the most frequently missed benefits for women veterans. If you had a service-connected hysterectomy or ovary removal, this almost certainly applies to you — we explain exactly how it works, and roughly what it pays, in the section just below.
The Rating Schedule, Spelled Out
This is the actual language the VA uses to rate gynecological conditions — reproduced here, in plain terms, so you never have to go hunting for it. It comes from 38 CFR §4.116, the section of federal law that governs these ratings. Read it, and you will know more than most veterans ever do walking into a claim.
The General Rating Formula
Most disease and injury conditions — of the vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries — are rated on the same simple scale. It turns on one question: how much continuous treatment your symptoms require.
Symptoms not controlled by continuous treatment
Symptoms that require continuous treatment
Symptoms that do not require continuous treatment
Conditions rated on this formula (Diagnostic Codes 7610–7615)
- 7610Vulva or clitoris — disease or injury (including vulvovaginitis)
- 7611Vagina — disease or injury
- 7612Cervix — disease or injury
- 7613Uterus — disease, injury, or adhesions
- 7614Fallopian tube — disease, injury, or adhesions (including pelvic inflammatory disease)
- 7615Ovary — disease, injury, or adhesions (includes PCOS-related dysfunction, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea)
Surgery & Specific Conditions — Set Ratings
Certain conditions and surgical outcomes carry their own fixed ratings, written directly into the schedule. If any of these describe you, this is what the law says you are owed.
Uterus and both ovaries removed (complete)
Uterus removed, including corpus (ovaries kept)
Ovary removed
Both ovaries, complete atrophy
Pelvic organ prolapse (injury, disease, or surgical complication of pregnancy)
Malignant (cancerous) neoplasms of the gynecological system
Endometriosis
Endometriosis, Broken Down (DC 7629)
Endometriosis has its own three-tier rating. Where you land depends on your symptoms, whether treatment controls them, and whether lesions have reached the bowel or bladder.
Lesions involving the bowel or bladder confirmed by laparoscopy, plus pelvic pain or heavy/irregular bleeding not controlled by treatment, and bowel or bladder symptoms.
Pelvic pain or heavy/irregular bleeding not controlled by treatment.
Pelvic pain or heavy/irregular bleeding requiring continuous treatment for control.
Source, reproduced above in plain terms: 38 CFR §4.116. Every rating here is a starting point — an accredited representative should confirm which code and percentage truly fit your record.
Extra Pay Most Women Are Never Told About: SMC for Loss of a Creative Organ
This is one of the most overlooked benefits in the entire system, and it can mean real money every month. Under 38 CFR §3.350(a) — the rule that carries out 38 U.S.C. §1114(k) — the VA pays Special Monthly Compensation (SMC-K) for the anatomical loss, or loss of use, of a creative organ. For women veterans, your creative organs include your uterus and ovaries, and it also covers the loss of 25% or more of breast tissue (including from a mastectomy or radiation).
It is paid ON TOP of your rating
SMC-K is not part of your percentage rating and it does not replace it. It is an extra, fixed dollar amount added to your monthly check — so a 50% hysterectomy rating and SMC-K are paid together, not one or the other.
Roughly what it pays
The SMC-K rate is about $139.87 per month for 2026, and it is adjusted every year for cost of living. If more than one qualifying loss applies, SMC-K can be awarded more than once. Treat this figure as an estimate — your exact amount should be confirmed on your award.
You usually have to claim it
SMC-K is frequently not granted automatically, even when the record clearly supports it. It should be raised in your claim (VA Form 21-526EZ) or in a supplemental claim if it was missed. This is exactly the kind of thing an accredited representative checks for.
If you have had a hysterectomy, an oophorectomy (ovary removal), or a service-connected mastectomy, you should ask about SMC-K by name. Many women carry the rating for years without ever receiving the creative-organ pay they were entitled to the whole time. It is worth reviewing every past decision to make sure it was included. Source: 38 CFR §3.350.
Damage to Reproductive Organs — and the Compensation for It
When service caused lasting harm to your reproductive system, that harm is compensable. The key is connecting it to your service under 38 CFR §3.304 — and there is more than one path.
Direct service connection
An injury, surgery, infection, or illness in service that damaged your reproductive organs — shown in your service treatment records and tied to your current condition by a medical nexus opinion.
MST-related damage
Physical injury from military sexual trauma, and the gynecological conditions that can follow, are service-connectable. Your account and supporting evidence carry real weight — you do not need a police report to prove it.
Toxic exposure & treatment
Reproductive cancers tied to toxic exposure can be presumptive under the PACT Act. Damage from a medication or procedure you underwent in service can also be connected with a provider’s opinion.
What proves the connection
A strong claim generally links three things: evidence of what happened in service (records, or a credible statement for MST), a current diagnosis, and a medical opinion — a nexus — stating the two are at least as likely as not connected. If a condition was noted in service and has continued since, that continuity is powerful evidence. A free VA-accredited representative can help you gather the records and secure the nexus opinion — at no cost to you.
Do You Qualify?
Service connection for a reproductive condition comes down to a few honest questions. If most of these sound like you, it is worth filing — and worth having someone review it for free before you do. You can read the full eligibility rules on VA.gov.
You have a current diagnosis
A gynecological or reproductive condition diagnosed by a VA or civilian provider — endometriosis (confirmed by laparoscopy), fibroids, ovarian disease, chronic pelvic pain, or the residuals of surgery.
Something happened in service
An injury, illness, surgery, MST, toxic exposure, or a medication you were directed to take — anything in your service that could be tied to your condition, even if it was not fully documented at the time.
A medical nexus connects the two
A provider’s opinion stating your condition is “at least as likely as not” related to service. Continuity of symptoms since discharge strengthens this link considerably.
Your rating is not the whole story
Loss of the uterus or an ovary can add Special Monthly Compensation on top of your rating — money that is separate from the percentage and frequently missed.
Not sure if your history counts? That uncertainty is exactly what a free review is for. Every rating and dollar figure on this page is an estimate — an accredited representative can tell you what your specific claim is actually worth before you file.
Long-Term Effects, Menopause & Hormone Care
Reproductive health does not end at discharge. The choices made and conditions carried during service can shape your health for decades — and the VA cares for you through all of it.
Effects of long-term birth control
Years of continuous hormonal use can affect bone density, mood, cardiovascular risk, and fertility. Bring your full history to your provider so it is documented, monitored — and connected to service if warranted.
Surgical & natural menopause
Removal of the ovaries brings on menopause suddenly, often decades early. Whether surgical or natural, the VA offers hormone therapy, bone-health screening, and symptom care.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
For appropriate candidates, HRT can ease hot flashes, sleep loss, and mood changes while protecting bone health. It is a covered part of VA women’s health care.
Bone & heart health follow-up
Early or surgical menopause raises long-term risks for osteoporosis and heart disease. Ongoing screening keeps small problems from becoming large ones.
Worth knowing: If your ovaries were removed because of a service-connected condition, the early menopause that follows — and its effects on your bones and heart — can be part of your claim, too. Bring it up; it is rarely offered.
How to Claim a Reproductive Condition
Four steps, in order. Each form below opens directly on VA.gov so you can read it, download it, and file. These claims are personal and the evidence can be sensitive — you do not have to navigate them alone.
Gather your gynecological records
Service treatment records, VA and civilian gyn records, surgical and pathology reports, and laparoscopy results for conditions like endometriosis. The Gynecological Conditions DBQ helps your provider document severity.
Gynecological Conditions DBQ (PDF)File an Intent to File first
This locks in your effective date and protects any back pay while you build the claim. It costs nothing and buys you a full year.
VA Form 21-0966 — Intent to FileSubmit your claim
List each condition, and note every surgery so the rater considers Special Monthly Compensation for creative-organ loss under §3.350.
VA Form 21-526EZ — Disability CompensationSecure a nexus opinion
For anything not presumptive, a provider’s statement linking the condition to service is what turns a denial into an award. A free accredited representative can help you obtain it.
VA Form 21-22a — Appoint an accredited repA free VA-accredited representative can handle the records and paperwork with discretion, and make sure surgeries are noted so the rater considers Special Monthly Compensation. To appoint one, you and your representative complete VA Form 21-22a — it costs you nothing.
Reproductive Health & VA Claims
Clear, trustworthy explainers on how the VA rates reproductive and gynecological conditions — and how to connect them to your service. Watch whenever you're ready.
Endometriosis & VA Disability Claims — All You Need to Know
A plain-language walk-through of how endometriosis is diagnosed, rated under Diagnostic Code 7629, and connected to your service so it can be compensated.
VA Disability Ratings for Gynecological Conditions
How the VA rates gynecological and reproductive conditions under 38 CFR §4.116 — including surgery, hysterectomy, and Special Monthly Compensation for creative-organ loss.
These videos are shared for general education from third-party creators. They are not legal advice, and watching them is never required to get help.
Reproductive Health Resources — Save These
Every one of these is free and confidential. Tap any card to take action right now — phone numbers dial straight from your phone. Save this list for yourself or for a fellow veteran who needs it.
This Care — and This Compensation — Is Yours
Your reproductive health carried a cost of service that too few people talk about. The VA covers the care, and when your service caused the harm, the law says you should be paid for it. Get your care, and let someone who does this every day make sure your claim is filed right.
Want help understanding your benefits or filing a claim?
We focus on veterans the VA has already denied or under-rated. We do not take brand-new (initial) claims, and we do not take every case.
Guidance from a VA-accredited claims agent (#45147). Any figures are estimates that depend on your situation and the VA's decision — not legal or medical advice, and not the VA.