WASHINGTON — Sexually-transmitted diseases are on the rise in troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a study which recommends more screening and health education.

WASHINGTON — Young veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are diagnosed with PTSD or substance-use disorders (SUD) are more likely to suffer from a host of physical ailments, particularly musculoskeletal disorders, according to study data recently released by VA researchers in the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System.

WASHINGTON — Mental health providers interviewed every single member of a 900-plus member Marine battalion that had sustained heavy losses in Afghanistan, as part of their reintegration upon return from deployment.

The ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are enabling researchers to learn more about a question that has plagued them for decades: Is there a difference between men and women who serve in the military when it comes to incidence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

WASHINGTON — How are military women who deploy to theater handling separation from their children?

Unintended pregnancies among deployed women in the U.S. Armed Forces create not only a significant challenge for the mother-to-be but also can impact troop morale and readiness, according to the author of a new study who says that medical counseling and education can go a long way toward lessening the problem.

While the rate of prostate-cancer diagnoses in active-duty servicemen has increased over time, higher rates of screening may be responsible, not a greater incidence of disease, according to a new study.¹

WASHINGTON — Does VA need to employ more aggressive tactics when it comes to getting veterans struggling with PTSD, depression and substance abuse into treatment?  Should some of those tactics involve using disability benefits as an incentive to receive treatment instead of as a simple entitlement?

WASHINGTON — Currently, when troops in Afghanistan suffer a head injury and require magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they generally must be flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. That ordeal may be keeping some servicemembers from reporting symptoms and getting the care they need, according to DoD officials who say MRIs soon will be available in theater.

WASHINGTON — Acute stress is rampant among troops in Afghanistan who are experiencing “a dramatic increase” in the levels of combat activity, according to a recent study.