Most Common Disabilities Among Women Veterans

Most Common Disabilities Among Women Veterans

Women veterans are the fastest-growing group of veterans in the United States. According to the VA, women now make up about 11.3% of the total veteran population, or more than 2.1 million people as of fiscal year 2023, up from just 6.3 percent in fiscal year 2000. The VA projects that women will represent close to 18% of all veterans by 2040. The median age of women veterans was 52 as of 2023, and about 930,000 women veterans were enrolled in VA health care that year.

According to VA’s FY 2024 Annual Benefits Report, 726,091 women veterans were receiving VA disability compensation as of the end of fiscal year 2024, up from 670,627 the year before. Of these women, about 39% had a combined disability rating of 90% or higher, and nearly 29% were rated at the full 100%.

Most Common VA Disabilities for Women Veterans

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that develops in people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. Symptoms of PTSD usually begin within three months of the traumatic incident, but sometimes can develop years afterward. Specific diagnostic criteria for PTSD are divided into different symptoms, including re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, arousal and reactivity symptoms, and cognition and mood symptoms.

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and PTSD

Many women develop PTSD as the result of military sexual trauma (MST). It can be challenging to prove claims for PTSD because the VA requires credible supporting evidence of the in service stressor. However, it is highly unlikely that MST related stressors would be documented as not many women report the incidents.

The VA requires something other than a personal statement to show they experienced MST during service. It is likely that they will need a statement from friends, family, or other veterans they served with. Additionally, veterans can look for behavioral markers in service records, meaning events or incidents that show there is a behavioral change during service. These behavioral markers can be very helpful in claims for PTSD.

Major Depressive Disorder (Depression)

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions among veterans overall, and VA’s own women’s health program identifies depression as the single most common mental health diagnosis given to women who have served. It is common that depression is associated with military service due to separation from family for long periods of time, deployments, and lack of support systems. Within VA’s mental health disability category, PTSD and major depressive disorder are consistently the two most prevalent conditions nationally, with PTSD accounting for well over half of all mental health disabilities and major depressive disorder the clear second, now affecting more than 359,000 veterans nationally as of FY 2024.

Musculoskeletal Conditions of the Back

Musculoskeletal conditions, including conditions of the back, make up the single largest category of service connected disabilities among women veterans, according to VA’s FY 2024 data. Lumbosacral or cervical strain and limitation of flexion of the knee are both among the ten most common individual disabilities VA compensates women veterans for.

Three back conditions in particular are common among women:

Cervical or Lumbosacral Strain

Cervical or lumbosacral strains are microscopic tears of the muscles in the tendons, typically caused by overuse. The VA rates this condition based on the range of motion by looking at how someone can bend forward, backwards, and side to side.

Intervertebral Disc Syndrome

Intervertebral disc syndrome occurs when the discs between the vertebrae begin to break down. It is made worse when there is prolonged sitting, standing, and bending down. This condition is rated based on incapacitating episodes unless range of motion testing would result in a higher rating, then the VA would rate the condition based on range of motion.

Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine

Degenerative arthritis of the spine involves the breakdown of the cartilage between joints and discs in the neck and back. This is caused by overuse and repetitive stress on the back, and it is a common cause of pain.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are typically very severe and often come with many residual issues. VA’s FY 2024 Annual Benefits Report lists migraine as one of the ten most common service-connected disabilities among women veterans specifically, and migraines are often secondary to other service-connected conditions, such as a head injury.

Gynecological Conditions

The VA recognizes a variety of gynecological conditions, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and female sexual arousal disorder. Gynecological conditions do not have to be related to specific in-service events or injuries to be service-connected. Instead, it just needs to be shown that the symptoms first began in service.

How Gynecological Conditions are Caused by Military Service

Gynecological conditions can be caused by a traumatic injury that damages the ovaries or uterus. However, gynecological conditions do not need to be linked to a specific in-service event. Gulf War veterans who have unexplained gynecological issues are entitled to service connection on a presumptive basis, meaning it is presumed the condition is related to exposure during the Gulf War if it cannot otherwise be explained.

Respiratory Conditions

VA’s FY 2024 Annual Benefits Report identifies allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea, specifically obstructive, central, and mixed sleep apnea syndromes, as the two leading respiratory conditions among veterans, including women, with allergic rhinitis now narrowly ahead at about 30% of respiratory disabilities compared to about 29 percent for sleep apnea. Chronic sinusitis is the third most common. Some earlier reporting on women veterans’ disabilities highlighted bronchial asthma as a top respiratory condition, but VA’s current data does not show asthma among the most prevalent respiratory disabilities for women veterans. Veterans exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards during service, including in the Gulf War and post 9/11 conflicts, may still develop respiratory conditions including asthma, and the PACT Act, signed into law in 2022, expanded VA health care and disability benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances, specifically listing breathing problems from a current lung condition or disease among the conditions veterans may now be compensated for.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a hearing condition that causes near-constant ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is the single most common service-connected disability among all veterans and remains common among women veterans as well, though it makes up a smaller share of women’s overall disabilities than it does for men. Many times this is filed in conjunction with claims for hearing loss, and in most cases, if service connection for hearing loss has been granted, tinnitus will usually be granted as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is PTSD so common among women veterans?

Much of it traces back to military sexual trauma. VA data show that about one in three women veterans report experiencing military sexual trauma when screened by their VA provider, compared with about one in fifty men.

Can I get VA disability compensation for a condition related to military sexual trauma?

Yes. VA confirms that veterans may be eligible for disability compensation for mental or physical health conditions related to military sexual trauma, separate from or in addition to a standard PTSD claim. Because MST-related stressors are often underreported and rarely documented in service records, VA typically requires supporting evidence such as statements from friends, family, or fellow service members, or documented behavioral changes during service.

Is depression still one of the most common disabilities for women veterans?

Yes. VA’s own women’s health program identifies depression as the single most common mental health diagnosis given to women who have served, and VA’s national disability data confirms that within the mental health category, major depressive disorder is consistently the second most prevalent condition after PTSD.

VA-Accredited Advocates Here To Help You

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate the VA claims process by yourself. Veterans Help Group has spent almost 30 years helping veterans and their families get the benefits they’ve earned. Call 855 855 8992 or complete our free case evaluation form HERE to see what you may qualify for.

Veteran Resources:

• Free VA Disability Guidebooks
• VFW SSDI Qualifications Questionnaire
• Most Commonly Approved VA Disability Claims
• VA Disability Calculator: See What You Could Be Owed!