REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT

[Tony]

ROUTINE 
R 281421Z OCT 22 MID200080400799U 
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC 
TO ALNAV 
INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC 
CNO WASHINGTON DC 
CMC WASHINGTON DC 
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ALNAV 071/22 
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/OCT// 
 
SUBJ/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT// 
 
REF/A/SECDEF MEMORANDUM/20OCT22// 
AMPN/REF A IS NEWLY RELEASED GUIDANCE FROM THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ENTITLED, 
"ENSURING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE"// 
 
RMKS/1.  It is critical our Sailors and Marines maintain health, fitness, and 
wellness to optimize mission readiness.  Therefore, the Department of the 
Navy (DON) is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of 
those who serve our country, and their families in an environment of safety, 
privacy, and respect.  The recent Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson 
Women's Health Organization has generated concern for some Sailors, Marines, 
and family members about how their reproductive health care may be 
affected.  The decision has necessitated that the Department of Defense (DoD) 
closely examine and evaluate policies to ensure seamless access to health 
care, consistent with federal law. 
 
2.  Reference (a) is newly released guidance from the Secretary of Defense 
entitled, "Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care."  Reference (a) 
outlines reproductive health policy and directs the DoD to promulgate 
implementing actions no later than the end of this calendar year, to the 
maximum extent possible.  Nothing is more important to me than the health and 
well-being of our people.  The DON will be fully engaged in this policy work. 
 
3. Future policy will: 
   a.  Establish additional privacy protections for reproductive health care 
information, including standardizing and extending the time Service Members 
have to fulfill their obligation to notify commanders of a pregnancy to no 
later than 20 weeks unless specific requirements to report sooner, such as 
those necessitated by occupational health hazards, are set forth in policy. 
   b.  Allow for appropriate administrative absence consistent with 
applicable federal law for non-covered reproductive health care. 
   c.  Establish travel and transportation allowances for Sailors, Marines, 
and their dependents, as appropriate and consistent with applicable federal 
law and operational requirements, and as necessary, amend any applicable 
travel regulations, to facilitate official travel to access non-covered 
reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a 
Sailor or Marine's permanent duty station. 
   d.  Direct commanders to maintain objectivity and discretion when 
addressing reproductive health care matters and underscore their duty to 
enforce existing policies against discrimination and retaliation in the 
context of reproductive health care choices. 
   e.  Develop a program to reimburse applicable fees, as appropriate and 
consistent with applicable federal law, for health care providers who wish to 
become licensed in a different state than that in which they are currently 
licensed in order to support the performance of official duties 
   f.  Develop a program to support health care providers who are subject to 
adverse action, including civil or criminal penalties or loss of license or 
reprimand, for appropriately performing their official duties, to include the 
indemnification of any verdict, judgment, or other monetary award consistent 
with applicable law. 
 
4.  While this policy work is underway, and pending issuance of the 
implementing actions, I want to assure you that I am fully committed to 
ensuring the DON continues to provide contraceptive and reproductive health 
care services and support to our Sailors, Marines, family members, and 
retirees. 
 
5.  Securing Easy Access to Contraceptive Care:  active duty Sailors and 
Marines are entitled to comprehensive counseling by a health care provider 
and access to the full range of contraceptive methods for pregnancy 
prevention or menstrual suppression.  Further, active duty Sailors and 
Marines may receive an adequate supply of short-acting reversible 
contraceptives for the entire length of deployment (up to 12 months).  If 
menstrual suppression is desired, extra supply of the chosen method will be 
ordered and dispensed as necessary to ensure the member has enough active 
medication for the entire duration of deployment.  Additionally, Walk-In 
Contraceptive Clinics (WICC) (primarily in Fleet Concentration and Fleet 
Marine Force areas) offer same-day contraceptive services to Sailors and 
Marines.  Currently, 32 WICCs are open (22 Navy and Marine Corps, 4 Army, 4 
Air Force, and 2 National Capital Region locations), offering easy access to 
same-day contraceptive services resulting in reduced wait time for accessing 
long acting reversible contraception.  Finally, emergency contraception Plan 
B (or generic equivalent) is available at all military pharmacies free of 
charge. 
 
6.  Ensuring Service Members and Beneficiaries Can Access Covered Abortions:   
consistent with long-standing federal law, 'covered abortions' - those cases 
that involve rape, incest, or where the life of the mother would be 
endangered - will continue to be performed within the military health 
system.  Please know that there is no interruption to this care.  Existing 
DoD policy authorizes travel for covered abortion care, if necessary. 
 
7.  Ensuring Service Members Can Exercise Their Reproductive Health Rights:   
DoD health care providers may recommend non-chargeable convalescent leave to 
allow time for the Sailor or Marine to recover after receiving an abortion.   
Pre-and post-care is available to Sailors and Marines within the military 
health system, regardless of whether the abortion service was a covered or 
non-covered procedure. 
 
8.  I encourage you to visit the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health 
Center's, "Women's Health Toolbox," at https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine-
Corps-Public-Health-Center/Womens-Health/ for additional information and 
resources on a myriad of important women's health issues, to include abortion 
care. 
 
9.  Rest assured that the DON's work to implement the DoD's new policy is a 
priority and it will be released expeditiously.  I expect promulgation in 
short order, with cooperation from leaders across the Navy and Marine Corps 
to ensure appropriate input and efficient implementation of the new policy. 
 
10.  Released by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.// 
 
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