Genitourinary
Women’s Health & Gynecological Conditions
Gynecological and reproductive conditions rated under §4.116
Gynecological conditions — endometriosis, uterine and pelvic disorders, and reproductive cancers — are rated under §4.116, Codes 7610–7632. Many are secondary to MST, PTSD, or service-connected conditions, and reproductive losses can trigger Special Monthly Compensation.
What Women’s Health & Gynecological Conditions Really Is
Women veterans carry conditions the system was not built to look for. Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, cervical and uterine disease, pregnancy complications tied to service. These conditions are rated in the gynecological section of the schedule, and they are among the most underclaimed in the entire system because nobody told women veterans they were claimable at all.
What it actually means
Women veterans carry conditions the system was not built to look for. Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, cervical and uterine disease, pregnancy complications tied to service. These conditions are rated in the gynecological section of the schedule, and they are among the most underclaimed in the entire system because nobody told women veterans they were claimable at all.
What the VA measures
The gynecological conditions in 38 CFR 4.116 rate on symptom severity and treatment response. Disease, injury, or adhesions of the female reproductive organs are rated on whether symptoms require continuous treatment and whether they are not controlled by continuous treatment, and endometriosis under code 7629 is rated on pelvic pain or heavy bleeding, lesions involving bowel or bladder, and bowel or bladder symptoms.
Why claims get missed
The dividing line in most of these codes is whether symptoms require continuous treatment and whether they remain uncontrolled despite it. That is language your provider has to use. Also missed: surgical removal of the uterus or an ovary carries its own specific ratings, and severe endometriosis with bowel or bladder involvement supports the 50 percent level. Mental health consequences and infertility are separately claimable.
What in Your Service Causes Women’s Health & Gynecological Conditions
Service connection is not a feeling, it is a chain of evidence. These are the pathways the VA already recognises. Find yours, then make sure your file says it out loud.
Toxic and chemical exposure
Burn pits, solvents, and contaminated water are documented reproductive toxicants, and the VA now evaluates gynecological conditions within the toxic exposure framework.
Deployment conditions and delayed care
Limited hygiene facilities, delayed access to gynecological care, and repeated untreated infection during deployment produce lasting pelvic disease.
Military sexual trauma
MST is associated with chronic pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, and gynecological conditions, and the mental health claim and the physical claim are separate claims.
Physical load and pelvic injury
Heavy load carriage and documented pelvic or abdominal injury contribute to prolapse, adhesions, and chronic pain.
Medication and hormonal disruption
Treatment for another service-connected condition, plus operational disruption of menstrual cycles, has documented consequences.
A Rating Schedule Built for Women Veterans
Section 4.116 rates gynecological and reproductive conditions — endometriosis (Code 7629), uterine and ovarian disorders, pelvic disease, and reproductive cancers (Codes 7610–7632). Endometriosis, for example, is rated on pelvic pain, heavy or irregular bleeding, bowel and bladder involvement, and whether those symptoms are controlled by treatment. Surgery such as a hysterectomy carries its own evaluation and, where reproductive organs are lost, can support Special Monthly Compensation under §3.350.
The MST and Secondary Connection
Many gynecological and reproductive conditions are connected to service, and some are secondary to military sexual trauma, PTSD, or other service-connected conditions under §3.310. Women veterans are historically under-rated because these conditions go unclaimed — either never raised or dismissed at exam. A complete treatment record and a clear statement of how the condition affects daily life are essential to a fair rating.
What to Document
Diagnosis and treatment history for the specific condition
Pain, bleeding, and functional impact (endometriosis)
Surgery or loss of a reproductive organ (SMC under §3.350)
Connection to MST, PTSD, or another service-connected condition (§3.310)
Establishing Service Connection
To establish service connection for a genitourinary condition, veterans must meet three criteria. First, there must be a current diagnosis. Second, there must be evidence of an in-service onset, event, or exposure that could have caused or aggravated it — or a service-connected condition (or its treatment) that caused it. Third, a nexus — a medical link — must connect the in-service event to the current condition.
Current diagnosis of the genitourinary condition
In-service onset, event, or exposure (or a service-connected primary condition)
Medical nexus linking the condition to service ("at least as likely as not")
Records documenting voiding dysfunction, frequency, or renal function
Lab results and specialist evaluations where available
Why Work With an Accredited Advocate
Veterans should seek the assistance of an Accredited VA Disability Advocate because we guide you through the complex claims process and ensure all necessary evidence is gathered and presented effectively. Our advocates are trained to identify and link service-related conditions, increasing the likelihood of a successful claim. We also provide personalized representation, helping veterans navigate appeals and secure the benefits they deserve. As a VA-Accredited Claims Agent, our fees are regulated under 38 CFR §14.636 — and there are no fees unless we win your appeal.
The Rating Schedule, Spelled Out
Gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast are rated under 38 CFR §4.116, Diagnostic Codes 7610–7632. Many conditions are rated on whether symptoms are controlled by continuous treatment, and several carry a period at 100% following surgery or during active treatment.
Symptoms that do not require continuous treatment.
Symptoms that require continuous treatment.
Symptoms not controlled by continuous treatment.
Pelvic pain or heavy or irregular bleeding requiring continuous treatment for control.
Pelvic pain or heavy or irregular bleeding not controlled by treatment.
Lesions involving bowel or bladder confirmed by laparoscopy, pelvic pain or heavy or irregular bleeding not controlled by treatment, and bowel or bladder symptoms.
Following a mastectomy: 30% (wide local excision without significant alteration of size or form), up to 80% for radical mastectomy of both breasts. A period of 100% applies during active cancer treatment under Code 7627.
Key Points to Remember
Rated under 38 CFR §4.116 for gynecological conditions and disabilities of the reproductive system
Ratings turn on symptom severity and whether treatment controls the condition
MST-related conditions may connect to a mental health claim (§4.130)
Document treatment, continuity of symptoms, and impact on daily activities
What to Expect at Your Gynecological C&P Examination
Gynecological conditions are rated under 38 CFR §4.116, where most codes turn on one distinction: whether your symptoms are controlled by continuous treatment or not controlled by continuous treatment. That single question separates the 10% and 30% levels across the section. You are entitled to request a female examiner, and you should make the request in writing before the appointment.
A written request in advance for a female examiner and for a chaperone, which is routinely accommodated when asked for early.
A complete menstrual and reproductive history: cycle length, bleeding severity, pain severity, and fertility history.
A specific finding on whether symptoms REQUIRE continuous treatment and whether that treatment actually controls them — that is the pivot point in nearly every code in §4.116.
Documentation of pelvic pain frequency and intensity, and its effect on work and daily activity.
Imaging and surgical history: ultrasound, laparoscopy, biopsy, hysterectomy or oophorectomy, with dates and what was removed.
For endometriosis, documentation of lesions, bowel or bladder involvement, and pain that persists despite treatment.
Screening for the conditions that commonly accompany these claims — depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction and infertility — each separately claimable, and MST-related where applicable.
What Happens Once the C&P Exam Is Complete
The examiner compiles a detailed report — your medical history, physical findings, and diagnostic results — and assesses the severity, symptoms, and impact of your condition. That report is sent to the VA Regional Office handling your claim and becomes part of your official file, reviewed alongside your other evidence.
The VA may send the report back for corrections, clarification, or a second opinion if it finds it incomplete or unclear. This can delay your claim, because the VA requires thorough and accurate information to decide. Your claim only moves to the decision phase once the VA is satisfied with the evidence — which is exactly why the quality of the file we build for you matters so much. Once decided, your effective date controls how far back your back pay reaches, and any denial can be challenged through a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board appeal.
The Advocate’s Take
Women veterans are under-rated more than any other group, because these conditions get left off the claim. Endometriosis, pelvic conditions, and surgical losses are all ratable — and some open the door to SMC.
Every Level the VA Can Assign You
These percentages come straight out of the rating schedule that governs women’s health & gynecological conditions — Diagnostic Code 7610–7615. Read them slowly. If your current rating does not match what your records actually show, that gap is exactly what an appeal exists to correct.
0%
Symptoms that do not require continuous treatment.
10%
Symptoms that require continuous treatment.
30%
Symptoms not controlled by continuous treatment.
Secondary Claims — Both Directions
Under 38 CFR §3.310, a condition caused or made worse by an already service-connected condition is itself service connected. That runs in both directions, and it is the single largest pool of unclaimed compensation in the system.
What can cause women’s health & gynecological conditions
If one of these is already service connected, this condition can be claimed as secondary to it.
PTSD or MST-related mental health condition
Chronic pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction are recognized consequences of trauma.
Diabetes or endocrine dysfunction
Metabolic disease drives menstrual disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome, and infertility.
Medication for another service-connected condition
Hormonal and psychiatric medications affect cycle, fertility, and sexual function.
Abdominal or pelvic surgery in service
Adhesions after surgery cause chronic pain and obstruction.
What women’s health & gynecological conditions can cause
If this condition is already service connected, each of these is a separate claim you may be owed.
Depression and anxiety
Chronic pelvic pain and infertility carry a heavy, well-documented psychiatric burden.
Infertility
A separately claimable consequence, and in some cases it supports special monthly compensation.
Bowel and bladder dysfunction
Endometriosis and adhesions involving bowel or bladder are written into the higher rating levels.
Anemia
Heavy chronic bleeding produces measurable lab findings that are separately ratable.
Chronic pain and reduced work capacity
Supports both a higher evaluation and, where warranted, TDIU.
A secondary claim still needs two things: a current diagnosis of the secondary condition, and a medical opinion saying it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition. You do not have to prove it happened in service.
Building a Women’s Health & Gynecological Conditions Claim That Wins
Every claim stands on three legs. Knock one out and the claim falls over, no matter how bad your symptoms are. Before you file, look at your file and find all three.
A current diagnosis
A doctor has to say you have it, now, in writing. Not "reports symptoms of" — a diagnosis. Without this leg, nothing else in the file matters.
A link to your service
An event, an injury, an exposure, or an already service-connected condition. Service records, unit records, buddy statements, and your own account all count as evidence.
A nexus that ties the two together
A medical opinion stating it is at least as likely as not that your service caused or aggravated the condition. That phrase is a legal standard: 50 percent or better. It is the leg most denials break.
Document the problem before you file
• Keep a dated symptom log for at least 30 days. Frequency, severity, and what it stopped you from doing.
• Get statements from people who see it — a spouse, a coworker, a battle buddy. Lay evidence is legal evidence.
• Pull your private treatment records. The VA only has to help; it does not have to go find everything.
• Write down what you have stopped doing. Lost work, lost sleep, lost activities. That is what impairment looks like on paper.
Your Rights in This Process
It costs nothing to file
Filing a VA claim is free. Accredited representatives may only charge for work on an appeal after an initial decision, and those fees are capped by 38 CFR §14.636.
The VA has a Duty to Assist you
Under 38 CFR §3.159 the VA must help you get the evidence it needs, and it must tell you what is missing before it denies you for missing it.
You can ask for a different examiner
You may request a trauma-informed clinician, or a clinician of a specific gender, for a C&P examination. Ask before the exam is scheduled.
You can claim every condition you have
There is no limit and no penalty. Primary conditions, secondary conditions, and conditions made worse by service all get filed.
You can appeal and be re-evaluated
A denial is not the end. You may submit new evidence, request a higher-level review, appeal to the Board, and ask for re-evaluation when your condition worsens.
You must be considered for TDIU
If your service-connected conditions keep you from holding substantially gainful employment, you may be paid at the 100 percent rate without a 100 percent rating.
Questions Veterans Ask About Women’s Health & Gynecological Conditions Claims
Nobody ever told me these conditions were claimable. Am I too late?
No. There is no deadline to file an original claim for a service-connected condition. If the condition started in service or is related to it, you can file now, decades later.
What is the single most important phrase to get into my record?
Whether your symptoms require continuous treatment, and whether they are controlled by that treatment. Most of the gynecological codes are built on that exact distinction, and not controlled by continuous treatment is what supports the higher rating.
Are my MST-related mental health claim and my gynecological claim the same claim?
No. They are separate claims with separate diagnostic codes, and both can be granted and combined. Filing one does not file the other.
When You Are Ready to File
Talk to an accredited representative before you file. It costs nothing to ask, and the order you file in changes what the VA is allowed to award you. Albert L. Thombs Jr. is VA-Accredited Claims Agent #45147.
The application itself
This is the form that opens a disability compensation claim. List every condition you are claiming, and name the secondary conditions explicitly.
Release for private records
Authorises the VA to request records from your private doctors. Without it, treatment outside the VA may never reach your file.
Lay or buddy statement
The official form for your own statement and for statements from people who witnessed the event or the change in you.
Resources Worth Keeping
These are real, staffed VA lines. Tap to call from your phone.
Veterans Crisis Line
988
Then press 1. Text 838255. Available 24 hours a day, every day. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.
VA Benefits & Facility Line
1-800-827-1000
Claim status, general benefits questions, and help finding the right VA office.
Women Veterans Call Center
1-855-829-6636
Call or text. Staffed by women veterans who can connect you to services in your area.
Vet Centers
1-877-927-8387
Community-based counselling for combat veterans and their families. No VA enrollment required.
What This Rating Is Worth (2026)
| 10% | $180.42/mo |
| 20% | $356.66/mo |
| 30% | $552.47/mo |
| 40% | $795.84/mo |
| 50% | $1,132.90/mo |
| 60% | $1,435.02/mo |
| 70% | $1,808.45/mo |
| 80% | $2,102.15/mo |
| 90% | $2,362.30/mo |
| 100% | $3,938.58/mo |
Rates shown are the veteran-alone amounts effective December 1, 2025. A spouse, children, or dependent parents increase your payment at 30% and above. Every 10% you are under-rated can cost you thousands of dollars a year for the rest of your life.
Estimate Your Exact Pay
Veteran RepresentationYour VA Claim Exam: What to Expect
This official VBA video walks you through the entire C&P exam process. Understanding what happens in that room is the difference between a rating that reflects your true condition and one that undervalues you.
Veteran RepresentationWhat It Takes to Win These Benefits
The Three-Part Test
Service connection under 38 CFR §3.303 requires all three:
- 1A current, diagnosed disability
- 2An in-service event, injury, or exposure
- 3A medical nexus linking the two
Veteran RepresentationThe medical evidence the VA is actually looking for:
VA Claim Exams: Genitourinary
This exam is specific to your body system. The examiner uses a specialized DBQ for this category of conditions, and the tests they perform determine your exact rating level. Watch this before your appointment.
What to Expect at Your C&P Exam
Your Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is not treatment. It is a rating tool. The examiner will not fix anything — they complete a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) and check the boxes that decide your rating. What happens in that room can move your rating an entire level, so walk in prepared.
Veteran RepresentationThe Forms You File — We Prepare Them For You
These are the forms that drive this claim. Start any of them on our site and an accredited agent prepares and files it for you — correctly, the first time.
Application for Disability Compensation
The core application that opens or reopens your claim.
Start this with usStatement in Support of Claim
Your own account and buddy/lay statements that fill the gaps in your record.
Start this with usAppoint Us as Your Representative
Authorizes our accredited agent to act on your behalf with the VA.
Start this with usUnemployability (TDIU) Application
Claims 100% pay when your conditions keep you from working — even below 100%.
Start this with usDisability Benefits Questionnaire
The exam form that captures the severity criteria for this specific condition.
Start this with usSMC & TDIU — When Your Rating Isn't the Whole Story
TDIU — Paid at 100% Without a 100% Rating
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (38 CFR §4.16) pays you at the 100% rate when your service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment — even if your combined rating is lower. You may qualify if:
- One condition is rated 60% or higher, or
- Two+ conditions combine to 70% with at least one rated 40%, and
- Those conditions keep you from holding steady, gainful work.
- Cannot meet the numbers? Extraschedular TDIU under §4.16(b) may still apply.
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
SMC (38 CFR §3.350) pays above the normal schedule for especially serious losses — loss or loss of use of a body part, being housebound, or needing the aid and attendance of another person. Common levels:
- SMC-K — Loss / loss of use — Add-on for loss or loss of use of a specific body part (hand, foot, eye, reproductive organ, or certain other losses). Paid on top of your regular compensation. Can stack (up to the statutory cap).
- SMC-S — Housebound — Statutory housebound: a single 100% disability plus additional disabilities of 60%+, or substantially confined to your home. Veteran-alone rate shown.
- SMC-L — Aid & Attendance — You need the regular aid and attendance of another person, or have anatomical loss/loss of use of both feet, one hand and one foot, blindness, or are permanently bedridden. Veteran-alone rate shown.
- SMC-M — Higher Aid & Attendance — A higher level of aid and attendance (e.g., loss of use of both hands, or loss of use of both legs at a higher level). Veteran-alone rate shown.
These are the benefits veterans most often leave on the table because no one told them they qualified. If any of this sounds like your situation, call an accredited agent at 702-992-4883 — we screen for SMC and TDIU on every case.
Talk to a VA-accredited claims agent about women’s health & gynecological conditions
Albert L. Thombs Jr. is a US Army veteran, VA-Accredited Claims Agent #45147, and 100% service-connected himself. He personally reviews every request. Fees are capped by 38 CFR §14.636 — and there are no fees unless you win.
Three Ways to Put an Accredited Agent on Women’s Health & Gynecological Conditions
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