Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy in the Military

Joining a branch in the United States Military is very rewarding. Especially when you are straight out of high school and experiencing being on your own for the first time. Once you have completed the training required you have the privilege to become apart of a family. That family will last a lifetime. During your time on active duty, you will be apart of your family members lives. Which include weddings, promotions, and celebrating births within your family. So, what happens when you or someone close to you think you may be having a military pregnancy?

According to a military blog, women in the military still report higher rates of unplanned pregnancy than their civilian peers. Is this a bad thing? Not at all, it just means we need to educate ourselves on being pregnant in the military. According to Ibis Reproductive Health’s analysis of Department of Defense data, about 11 percent of active-duty military women reported an unintended pregnancy in 2008 and 7 percent reported an unintended pregnancy in 2011—in both years, this was far more than the general population.

One of the biggest fears for military women is exposing this unplanned pregnancy to their chain of command and risk being non-deployable or non-promotable. In these cases, there are community resources outside Camp Pendleton. They can help provide no-cost pregnancy testing and are 100% confidential.  At Pathway Health Clinic, we respect your privacy and do not report your visit to command or Tricare unless you have provided us with written consent and authorization. All our Advocates and Licensed Medical Professionals can help you explore all your options in a safe, confidential, judgment-free way.

To make an appointment, call us at 760-945-4673 or walk-in during clinic hours. If you are in a crisis, you can text our 24/7 crisis text line at 760-208-8811 and an advocate will respond. We are here to help.