Women's Health Updates — December 2023

Learn about recent developments in women's health as well as SWHR's activities that promote the study of sex and gender influences on health and serve our mission to improve women's health through science, policy, and education.

Thank you to all who supported SWHR this past Giving Tuesday and helped us recognize our nation's women caregivers and SWHR's work to support this critical population throughout the year!

If you did not get an opportunity to donate to SWHR and support our efforts on behalf of women, both as patients and caregivers, but would still like to show your support, there's still time to donate! Donate to SWHR and help us advocate for women across the lifespan.

SWHR Honors 2023 Women's Health Champions

SWHR is excited to honor our 2023 Women's Health Champions, Juana Mata with Looms4Lupus and Marianna Raia with Expecting Health during SWHR's Winter Social, December 7. If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, tickets are still available! Join us to celebrate these champions and our collective work in women’s health over the past year. Get tickets to the SWHR Winter Social here!

Join the “Impact of Menopause on the Workplace” Focus Group

SWHR is conducting a study to better understand the impact of menopause on the workplace. To participate, you must be age 18 and older. You do not have to experience menopause to participate in the focus group. We are collecting insights from all individuals in the workplace setting, regardless of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, or employment status. Apply for the focus group today!

HAPPENING THIS DECEMBER

SAVE THE DATE FOR THIS WINTER AND SPRING



Check out SWHR's event calendar for more SWHR and other women's health events.

JAN 24, 2024: DIVERSE VOICES: GRAPHIC MEDICINE

During this webinar hosted by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, speakers will discuss graphic medicine: the use of comics to tell personal stories of illness and health. Learn more.

APRIL 25, 2024: SWHR EVENT SWHR 2024 ANNUAL AWARDS GALA

SWHR is excited to host our Annual Awards Gala in the newly renovated National Museum of Women in the Arts. Contact Development Director Julie Miller at julie@swhr.org to learn more about Gala sponsorships and tickets.

MAY 6-9, 2024: ORGANIZATION FOR THE STUDY OF SEX DIFFERENCES 2024 ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual OSSD Meeting will be held in Bergen, Norway this summer. Are you attending OSSD 2024? You may be eligible for the new SWHR Emerging Scholars in Women’s Health Research Award! Learn more and apply by the February 2, 2024 deadline today.

SWHR is always seeking stories about diagnoses, seeking or providing care, and living with narcolepsy, menopause, autoimmune diseases, or other health conditions or life stages. Visit swhr.org/shareyourstory or click the button above to share.

SWHR Publishes Heart Health Fact Sheet

SWHR's latest fact sheet, Factors Impacting Cardiovascular Health Across the Lifespan, shares some of the obstacles women face when it comes to protecting their heart health, including delayed diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, awareness gaps, and challenges with insurance protocols.

This fact sheet builds on SWHR's #ReadMyLips 👄 social media campaign from this fall. Follow the hashtag #SWHRtalksHeart to see more heart health resources from the year.

Looking for more information about heart health?

Watch the webinar recording "On My Heart" to hear two women share their personal journeys with heart disease, how they learned to be their own heart health advocates, and advice they have for others.

Do you have a heart health story? Share your story with SWHR by visiting swhr.org/shareyourstory and you could help inform future resources.

Do you study sex differences? Are you attending the OSSD Annual Meeting in May 2024?

You may be eligible for the new SWHR Emerging Scholars in Women’s Health Research Award! This award will be offered to three trainee members whose abstracts demonstrate research excellence in addressing important knowledge gaps in health and disease areas that disproportionately, differently, or exclusively affect women. The award is due February 2, 2024. Learn more and apply today!

On Monday, November 13, President Joe Biden announced the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. The Initiative is aimed at spurring innovation and improving women's health. It will be led by First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council and chaired by Dr. Carolyn Mazure.

In response to the announcement, SWHR released a statement applauding this vital step in prioritizing women's health research. "Through its announcement of the new White House Initiative on Women's Health Research," says SWHR in its statement, "the White House is signaling its recognition that women's health research has been overlooked and deserves increased national attention so that women across the country can achieve equity and parity in health and health care."

Additional SWHR Policy Updates

• Blog: Statement from the Society for Women’s Health Research on the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research Announcement
• Letter: SWHR Sends Welcome Letter to NIH Director Bertagnolli
• Fact Sheet: Factors Impacting Women’s Cardiovascular Health Across the Lifespan
• Fact Sheet: Women's Bone Health: The Importance of Caring for Your Bones Early and Often
• Webinar: The Role of Federal Agencies in Supporting Women’s Bone Health Early and Often
• Webinar: Efforts to Advance Menopause in the UK: A Conversation with the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee
• Webinar: On My Heart: Women Share Personal Journeys with Heart Disease

Coalition to Advance Maternal Therapeutics Policy Updates

• Letter: Letter to House and Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Leadership
• Letter: Letter to FDA
• Letter: Dear Colleague Letter to FDA

Learn more about SWHR's policy work here.