WASHINGTON – Government auditors say Veterans Affairs Department hospitals and clinics aren't always making sure women veterans have privacy when they bathe and receive exams.
The Government Accountability Office says no VA hospital or outpatient clinic it reviewed was fully compliant with VA privacy requirements.
In an audit released to Congress, GAO investigators found facilities where gynecological exam tables faced the door, and facilities where there weren't locks on non-private restrooms.
Thousands of women veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and pouring into the VA's health system. A majority are between ages 20 and 29.
VA officials told the auditors that space constraints pose challenges, but it's working on improvements.
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