TOP 10 THINGS ALL HEALTHCARE AND SERVICE

PROFESSIONALS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT 

VA SERVICES FOR VETERANS WHO EXPERIENCED

MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST)

1 

Militar

term u

 

y se

sed 

xual trauma (MST) is the 

by the Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) to refer to 

sexual assault or repeated, threatening 

sexual harassment that occurred during a 

Veteran’s military service.

MST can occur on or off base and while a Veteran is on 

or off duty. Perpetrators can be anyone — men or 

women, military personnel or civilians, commanding 

officers or subordinates, strangers, friends, or intimate 

partners. Veterans from all eras of service – from 

World War II to those who served more recently in Iraq 

and Afghanistan – have reported experiencing MST. 

2 

About one in three women and 

one in 50 men have told their VA 

healthcare provider that they 

experienced sexual trauma in the 

military. Although women are more 

likely to experience MST than men, 

because of the larger number of 

men in the military there are 

actually significant numbers of 

both men and women seen in VA 

that have experienced MST. 

A significant number of 

men and women report 

having experienced MST. 

3

MST affects both mental 

and physical health. 

Sexual assault is more likely to result in 

symptoms of PTSD than are most other 

types of trauma, including combat. 

Symptoms of depression and substance 

abuse are also common. Even survivors 

without formal diagnoses may still struggle 

with emotional reactions, memories related 

to their experiences of MST, or interpersonal 

issues. Sexual trauma can also have a strong 

impact on physical health and is associated 

with higher rates of headaches, 

gastrointestinal difficulties, sexual 

dysfunction, chronic pain, and chronic 

fatigue. Recovery is possible, however, and 

VA has services to help Veterans with this. 

Since 1992, VA has been developing programs 

and policies to ensure MST survivors have 

access to resources to help them in their 

recovery. For example, all Veterans seen for VA 

health care are asked if they experienced MST; 

this is an important way to ensure providers 

are aware of their experience and can connect 

them with additional care as needed. All 

treatment for physical and mental health 

conditions related to MST is free. VA engages in 

outreach to Veterans about services available 

and ensures that staff receive training on MSTrelated issues. As with disabilities due to other 

experiences during military service, Veterans 

can receive compensation for disabilities or 

injuries resulting from MST. 

4

VA has responded to the issue 

of MST in a variety of ways. 

July 2020
5

VA provides all treatment 

for mental and physical 

health conditions related to 

MST free of charge. 

Veterans do not need to have a disability 

rating (that is, be “service-connected”), to 

have reported the incident(s) at the time, 

or to have other evidence that MST 

occurred in order to receive free MSTrelated care. There are no time limits on 

eligibility for this care, meaning that 

Veterans can seek out treatment even 

many years after discharge. 

6

Veterans may be eligible for 

free MST-related care even if 

they are not eligible for other 

VA services. 

There are special eligibility rules for MSTrelated care and length of service and some 

other requirements for receiving other VA 

care do not apply. Although this handout 

refers to "Veterans", former Service 

members with an Other Than Honorable 

discharge and current Service members can 

also receive certain MST-related services.

7

VA has a full continuum 

of MST-related 

services available. 

MST-related outpatient care is available at 

all VA medical centers and many 

community-based outpatient clinics. 

Outpatient MST-related counseling is also 

available at VA’s Vet Centers. For 

Veterans who need more intensive 

treatment and support, there are 

programs nationwide that offer 

specialized sexual trauma treatment in 

residential and inpatient settings. 

8

VA knows that MST survivors 

may have special treatment 

needs and concerns. 

For example, a Veteran can ask to meet with a 

clinician of a particular gender if it would 

make him or her feel more comfortable. 

Similarly, to accommodate Veterans who do 

not feel comfortable in mixed-gender 

treatment settings, many facilities 

throughout VA have separate programs for 

men and women. 

9

Every VA medical center has 

an MST Coordinator who 

serves as a point person for 

MST-related issues.

He or she can tell you about treatment and 

other resources available in your area. For 

more information, contact your local VA 

healthcare facility and ask to speak with the 

MST Coordinator. 

There are several ways

Veterans can get help. 10

For more information, Veterans can 

speak with their existing VA healthcare 

provider, contact the MST Coordinator at 

their nearest VA medical center, or 

contact their local Vet Center. A list of 

VA and Vet Center facilities 

can be found online at 

https://www.va.gov and 

https://www.vetcenter.va.gov. More 

information about MST and 

VA services is available at 

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/

msthome.asp.