Throbbing pain in the abdomen, heavy bleeding, lower back pain, and nausea are just a few of the symptoms women with a menstrual disorder might experience. Sometimes, severe symptoms like these can lead to missed days at work, pain and discomfort that interfere with daily life, or even infertility.
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VA benefits are available to veterans with menstrual disorders that were caused by or made worse during military service. This article details how veterans can get a dysmenorrhea VA rating and explains the VA disability rating for other menstrual disorders like menorrhagia and amenorrhea.
In this article about the dysmenorrhea VA rating:
Veterans and menstrual disorders
Menstrual disorders can be serious. As a veteran, you probably don’t expect to leave military service with one. The reality is that exposure to environmental hazards, physical trauma to the uterus, and occupational stress from service can contribute to the development of a menstrual disorder.
Many menstrual disorders are related and share some of the same symptoms, which means one can often lead to another. If you’re a veteran with a service-connected menstrual disorder and you develop a related condition down the road, you may be able to earn additional compensation.
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Types of menstrual disorders
Menstrual disorders are issues related to a woman’s menstrual cycle. Some women experience regular periods that come and go like clockwork and have more predictable and manageable symptoms. Symptoms of normal menstrual cycles can be treated with over-the-counter medication or home remedies.
Other women, however, experience missed or prolonged periods, mood swings, heavy bleeding, and persistent, painful menstrual cramps. Women with menstrual disorders find it difficult to predict when periods will begin and end, may have to change their disposable hygiene products frequently, and might find that over-the-counter treatments don’t provide adequate pain relief.
Here, we talk about some of the more common menstrual disorders women experience and what causes them.
Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea, the most commonly reported menstrual disorder, is characterized by pain during the menstrual cycle. Sometimes the pain can be so severe it keeps you from performing daily activities. In addition to pain, symptoms can include nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea.
There are two types of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary.
When pain from menstrual cramps comes back every month, this is known as primary dysmenorrhea. Pain can range from mild to severe and is felt in the lower abdomen, back, or thighs. This form of dysmenorrhea isn’t caused by any other medical condition.
If you have painful periods due to an infection or other condition in your reproductive organs, it’s known as secondary dysmenorrhea. This form of dysmenorrhea is commonly caused by endometriosis, a large Cesarean section (C-section) scar, endometrial polyps, adenomyosis, fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease. Pain from secondary dysmenorrhea usually starts earlier and lasts longer than normal period pain.
Veterans with secondary dysmenorrhea may be eligible for a dysmenorrhea VA rating. Secondary dysmenorrhea is a common symptom of many other menstrual disorders. If you have service-connected endometriosis with painful menstrual cramps, for example, you may be able to get a dysmenorrhea VA rating secondary to endometriosis.
Menorrhagia
Women with menorrhagia experience menstrual bleeding for more than seven days, and bleeding may be heavy. If you need to change your tampon or pad every two hours or less, or if you pass clots the size of a quarter or larger, that’s considered heavy bleeding.
If you have a bleeding problem like this, it could also lead to anemia, leaving you feeling tired, weak, and short of breath.
Menorrhagia can be a result of a hormone imbalance, trauma to the uterus, a platelet dysfunction, uterine fibroids, cancer of the uterus or cervix, miscarriage, or an ectopic pregnancy. Taking certain drugs like blood thinners can also increase bleeding.
Veterans who experienced symptoms of menorrhagia during service may have sought treatment and have medical records proving the symptoms started during service. These records can help establish a service connection to receive a menorrhagia VA rating.
It is possible to develop menstrual disorders like menorrhagia after military service. As we mentioned above, menorrhagia can be caused by physical damage or injury to the uterus. If you had an injury or underwent surgery during service, your abnormal menstruation could have developed after discharge. In this case, you must connect the uterine injury to military service to establish a service connection.
Amenorrhea
Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation, which is defined as missing one or more menstrual periods. This can lead to several complications like infertility, pelvic pain, and physiological stress. Due to a lack of estrogen, amenorrhea can also cause osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
There are two types of amenorrhea, primary and secondary.
Someone who has primary amenorrhea has not had a period by age 15. This type is most commonly caused by inappropriate hormone levels or anatomical problems. Primary amenorrhea is not eligible for VA benefits.
Veterans with secondary amenorrhea, however, may be eligible for an amenorrhea VA rating. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of three or more menstrual periods in a row by someone who has had periods in the past. Pregnancy is the most common cause of secondary amenorrhea, also known as natural amenorrhea. But hormone problems, low body weight, stress, and some medications like contraceptives and allergy medications can also cause periods to stop.
Increased mental and physical stress during military service can put the body into survival mode, leading to secondary amenorrhea. If your medical records show that you saw a doctor for your amenorrhea symptoms during military service, this could help your case.
VA disability rating for menstrual disorders
The VA rates menstrual disorders under diagnostic code 7615, using the General Ratings Formula for Disease, Injury, or Adhesions of Female Reproductive Organs.
Under DC 7615, the VA rates menstrual disorders based on how well your symptoms are controlled by treatment, not how well treatment controls the disorder itself.
For example, if you have menorrhagia and your symptoms don’t require continuous treatment, you will be assigned a 0% menorrhagia VA rating. If continuous treatment doesn’t control your symptoms, you’ll likely be assigned a 30% menorrhagia VA rating.
The table below describes the rating criteria in more detail.
| Description | VA Rating | Monthly payment (vet only) |
|---|---|---|
| Symptoms not controlled by continuous treatment | 30% | $524.31 |
| Symptoms that require continuous treatment | 10% | $171.23 |
| Symptoms that do not require continuous treatment | 0% | None |
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Menstrual disorders and related conditions
Menstrual disorders are often tied to other related conditions. If one service-connected condition causes the other, veterans can file a VA disability claim for a secondary service connection and get more money.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common cause of secondary dysmenorrhea. Endometriosis is a chronic disease that develops when the tissue that lines the uterus (endometrium) grows onto other areas, such as the ovaries, peritoneum, bowels, or bladder. It can also play a role in the development of menorrhea (heavy bleeding).
If a veteran with service-connected endometriosis later develops secondary dysmenorrhea, they can get dysmenorrhea VA rating secondary to endometriosis.
Osteoporosis
Estrogen plays a big role in bone density and total bone health. Because amenorrhea is caused by reduced estrogen levels, developing osteopenia and osteoporosis is a concern.
Infertility
Menstrual disorders can contribute to infertility. Irregular periods or the lack of periods can cause irregularities in ovulation, making it difficult to conceive. If you have a menstrual disorder related to your military service that led to infertility, you may qualify for VA disability benefits.
TDIU for menstrual disorders
Sometimes, symptoms and complications of a disability can be so advanced that working a steady job and earning an income becomes difficult.
Veterans with menstrual disorders may find that severe pain from cramping, heavy bleeding, and extreme fatigue causes them to miss work. Stepping away frequently to change a pad or tampon can disrupt the workday and lead to issues among co-workers.
Because ratings for menstrual disorders are relatively low, they aren’t usually eligible for TDIU on their own. However, a menstrual disorder combined with other service-connected or secondary conditions could help veterans get TDIU.
TDIU is a monthly benefit paid to veterans who cannot work, but don’t have a service-connected disability rated at 100%. TDIU pays the same as a 100% disability, without the requirement of a 100% disability rating.
To be eligible for TDIU, veterans typically must have:
- One service-connected disability rated at least 60% OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities, with one condition rated at least 40% and a combined rating of at least 70%.
How Woods and Woods can help
If you need help getting the VA disability benefits you deserve, Woods and Woods is here to support you. With a team of VA-accredited attorneys, legal analysts, case managers, and support staff, we’re ready to provide the assistance you need. Contact us for a free case evaluation today. You only pay if we win.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All menstrual disorders are presumptive to Gulf War service if they are part of a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI).
Under diagnostic code 7615, the VA rates menstrual disorders based on how well your symptoms are controlled by treatment, not how well treatment controls the disorder itself. A dysmenorrhea VA rating can be 0%, 10%, or 30%. A 0% rating means your symptoms don’t require continuous treatment. A 30% rating means your symptoms are not controlled through continuous treatment.
Under diagnostic code 7615, a menorrhagia VA rating can be 0%, 10%, or 30%. A 0% rating means your symptoms don’t require continuous treatment. A 30% rating means your symptoms are not controlled through continuous treatment.
Neil Woods
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Neil Woods is the firm’s owner and president. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
