As we come to the end of Women’s History Month and acknowledging their significant impact on society, we must also talk about women’s health. Women in the United States had the lowest life expectancy of 80 years, compared with women in other high-income countries. Women also had the highest rate of avoidable deaths.
I’ve written before in this column about why we need to make women’s health a priority, here and here. In honor of this year’s Women’s History Month, it’s important to understand the history of research around women’s health and acknowledge that not only must we not abandon the progress we’ve made but we must also continue to push for research and practice that enhances our knowledge about women’s health issues from pregnancy to menopause and beyond.
Continuing to prioritize a robust women’s health agenda is the scientifically, economically and ethically right thing to do.
The Scientific Reason.
When you look at a timeline of clinical and public health research, the focus on women’s health is relatively new. For example, while the National Institutes of Health were established in 1887, it wasn’t until 1990 that a dedicated office to women’s health research was created.
