{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:08:56Z","timestamp":1792786136541,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"5","funder":[{"name":"Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences","award":["85-14169"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["85-14169"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04r3kq386","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>OBJECTIVE:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To assess the midlife and menopause experiences and unmet health needs of servicewomen and veterans.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>METHODS:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>For this qualitative study, we conducted virtual focus groups with servicewomen and veterans aged 45\u201360 years using a semi-structured, open-ended interview guide focused on midlife and menopause experiences and related health care access. Focus groups were held from June to August 2025 until thematic saturation was met. Transcripts were coded and thematic analysis performed using Atlas.ti software.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>RESULTS:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted five focus groups with 30 participants (mean age 51.5 years; 53.3% active duty). Participants received health care across the Military Health System, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and private sector. Four categories emerged: effects on personal life, menopause-related care delivery, effects on military and professional career, and recommendations for improvements. Within these categories, seven themes were identified: feeling unprepared and navigating menopause independently, effects on relationships, frustration with care delivery, positive care delivery experiences, effects on military performance and readiness, unique military settings complicating symptoms and treatment, and recommendations to improve menopause experiences and care delivery in the military. Frustration with care delivery included feeling dismissed, symptom misattribution or treatment of individual symptoms, lack of menopause knowledge among clinicians, inconsistent access to knowledgeable clinicians, and seeking care outside the Military Health System or VHA. Positive care experiences included symptom validation, provision of treatment, and continuity of care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>CONCLUSION:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Menopause symptoms substantially affect quality of life and occupational functioning among servicewomen and veterans, with system-level gaps in menopause care overshadowing positive experiences. Findings highlight deficiencies in anticipatory guidance, workplace support, clinician education, access to care, and continuity of care across health systems. Targeted interventions to improve workplace culture surrounding menopause, menopause-specific clinical competency, and access to evidence-based care are needed to support quality of life and maintain military readiness.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1097\/aog.0000000000006402","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T21:00:33Z","timestamp":1787259633000},"page":"680-692","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Qualitative Analysis of Menopause Experiences and Care Gaps for Servicewomen and Veterans"],"prefix":"10.1097","volume":"148","author":[{"given":"Stephanie","family":"Micucci","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine","family":"Witkop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Allison","family":"Eubanks","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Margaret","family":"Wood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katerina","family":"Shvartsman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lindsey","family":"Borgia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carolyn","family":"Gibson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jill","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"reference":[{"issue":"suppl 1","key":"R3-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S40","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/gnv104","article-title":"Vasomotor symptoms and quality of life among veteran and non-veteran postmenopausal women","volume":"56","author":"Katon","year":"2016","journal-title":"Gerontologist"},{"key":"R4-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.1016\/j.whi.2025.05.001","article-title":"Military exposures and early menopause: findings from the Gulf War Era Cohort Study (GWECS)","volume":"35","author":"Gibson","year":"2025","journal-title":"Womens Health Issues"},{"key":"R5-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1016\/j.maturitas.2023.01.003","article-title":"Serving through the perimenopause: experiences of women in the UK armed forces","volume":"169","author":"Willman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Maturitas"},{"key":"R6-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzm042","article-title":"Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups","volume":"19","author":"Tong","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int J Qual Health Care"},{"key":"R7-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"789","DOI":"10.1097\/GME.0000000000002391","article-title":"Retrospective text and qualitative analyses of patient experience and management of vasomotor symptoms due to menopause: voices from the PatientsLikeMe community","volume":"31","author":"Shepherd","year":"2024","journal-title":"Menopause"},{"key":"R8-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"846","DOI":"10.1080\/0142159X.2020.1755030","article-title":"Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE guide no. 131","volume":"42","author":"Kiger","year":"2020","journal-title":"Med Teach"},{"key":"R9-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","article-title":"Using thematic analysis in psychology","volume":"3","author":"Braun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Qual Res Psychol"},{"key":"R10-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1080\/2159676X.2019.1704846","article-title":"To saturate or not to saturate? questioning data saturation as a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales","volume":"13","author":"Braun","year":"2021","journal-title":"Qual Res Sport Exerc Health"},{"key":"R11-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70167","DOI":"10.1111\/hex.70167","article-title":"Women's menopausal experiences in the UK: a systemic literature review of qualitative studies","volume":"28","author":"Anto","year":"2025","journal-title":"Health Expect"},{"key":"R12-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1515\/jom-2024-0011","article-title":"Uncovering gaps in management of vasomotor symptoms: findings from a national need assessment","volume":"125","author":"Hubka","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Osteopath Med"},{"key":"R13-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"242","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mayocp.2018.08.033","article-title":"Menopause management knowledge in postgraduate family medicine, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology residents: a cross-sectional survey","volume":"94","author":"Kling","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mayo Clin Proc"},{"key":"R14-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1297","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2026.1891","article-title":"Opportunity for improved menopausal hormone therapy prescribing","volume":"335","author":"Bartz","year":"2026","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"R15-20261015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0000000000005801","article-title":"Addressing the menopause health needs of military service members: a call to action","volume":"145","author":"Brown","year":"2025","journal-title":"Obstet Gynecol"}],"container-title":["Obstetrics &amp; Gynecology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.1097\/AOG.0000000000006402","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T13:02:32Z","timestamp":1792069352000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.1097\/AOG.0000000000006402"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/aog.0000000000006402","relation":{},"ISSN":["0029-7844","1873-233X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0029-7844","type":"print"},{"value":"1873-233X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-04-14","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-21","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}