Women’s Unique Health Needs Recognized
March 16, 2005
For many years, medical testing on men translated into an equivalent result for women. Oftentimes the interpretation of the data did not take into consideration women’s unique health needs. Senators Olympia Snow, R-ME, and Barbara Mikulski, D-MD. realized this and introduced a bill (S. 569) seeking to establish permanent women’s health offices in key government organizations. Recently, House Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, D-NY and Deborah Pryce, R-OH, reintroduced a similar bill (H.R. 949).
The Senate bill includes the establishment of an Office on Women’s Health within the Health and Human Services Office, The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, as well as a National Women’s Health Information Center. These offices will ensure that the unique disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, research and public and health care professional education issues of particular concern to women are being addressed. The progress of both bills can be followed at http://thomas.loc.gov.
Creating adequate funding, appropriate staffing, and long-term protection for critical health research will better serve their unique needs of American women. For example, a recent health study on 40,000 women found aspirin did not reduce the risk of heart attack on middle aged women. In fact, the benefits for women in their forties and fifties may not outweigh the risks. Prior to this study, people have discussed the use of aspirin in reducing the likelihood of a heart attack based on studies of middle aged men.
Cancer survivors also have unique medical, educational and psychosocial needs. They should be encouraged by the initiative of government representatives to recognize the unique needs of populations. Survivors should continue to advocate to their representatives and encourage them to create legislation that reflects these needs.
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March 16, 2005
For many years, medical testing on men translated into an equivalent result for women. Oftentimes the interpretation of the data did not take into consideration women’s unique health needs. Senators Olympia Snow, R-ME, and Barbara Mikulski, D-MD. realized this and introduced a bill (S. 569) seeking to establish permanent women’s health offices in key government organizations. Recently, House Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney, D-NY and Deborah Pryce, R-OH, reintroduced a similar bill (H.R. 949).
The Senate bill includes the establishment of an Office on Women’s Health within the Health and Human Services Office, The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, as well as a National Women’s Health Information Center. These offices will ensure that the unique disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, research and public and health care professional education issues of particular concern to women are being addressed. The progress of both bills can be followed at http://thomas.loc.gov.
Creating adequate funding, appropriate staffing, and long-term protection for critical health research will better serve their unique needs of American women. For example, a recent health study on 40,000 women found aspirin did not reduce the risk of heart attack on middle aged women. In fact, the benefits for women in their forties and fifties may not outweigh the risks. Prior to this study, people have discussed the use of aspirin in reducing the likelihood of a heart attack based on studies of middle aged men.
Cancer survivors also have unique medical, educational and psychosocial needs. They should be encouraged by the initiative of government representatives to recognize the unique needs of populations. Survivors should continue to advocate to their representatives and encourage them to create legislation that reflects these needs.
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