Women's Health Updates — May 2021
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.
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SWHR's supporters gathered together virtually for our 2021 Annual Awards Gala on April 29 to honor three women who have devoted their careers to improving women’s health and women’s advancement in research and medicine. If you missed the event, you can still celebrate the #SWHRGala with us:
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Join SWHR in celebrating National Women's Health Week, May 9-15! We will share information and resources on women’s health topics on social media throughout the week as well as participate in a Twitter chat on Tuesday, May 11 at 2 p.m. ET with the FDA and HHS Offices of Women's Health. Follow along @SWHR and #NWHW!
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COVID-19 & WOMEN'S HEALTH |
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The COVID-19 pandemic has imperiled the careers of many women in the biomedical workforce as they face disproportionately greater caregiving responsibilities at home and related productivity losses at work, jeopardizing their hard-earned progress. Read more on SWHR's blog.
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Research across a variety of infectious diseases suggests that pregnant women and their babies are at increased risk for disease-related complications. However, research is still in the early stages and the full impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and newborns is not yet fully known. Read more on SWHR's blog.
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After the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was temporarily paused last month due to concern about very rare severe blood clots in women, experts discussed how to bolster women's trust in the vaccine. Women often are the primary caregiver in a family and want to be well-informed on medical decisions such as COVID-19 vaccination, SWHR President and CEO Kathryn Schubert tells Bloomberg News. Providers must clearly lay out benefits & risks in a way that is not perpetuating anxiety. Read more.
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SWHR CEO Kathryn Schubert tells Salon.com that questions about a woman’s menstrual cycle should “absolutely” be incorporated into research and be an expected standard in clinical trials that include women. Read more.
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People with chronic illness are at higher risk for developing mental health conditions. Psychological care can have an immense impact on the quality of life for patients with chronic illness, says Dr. Jennifer Pate, a psychiatrist who works with patients with chronic liver conditions. Read more on SWHR's blog.
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Nearly 50% of women over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Although the condition affects mainly affects older women, efforts to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis should be considered across a woman’s lifespan. Read more on SWHR's blog.
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SWHR Board of Directors member Dr. Linda Griffith is working to change the conversation around endometriosis, which is often overlooked and stigmatized as a women's disease related to menstruation. Read more in the New York Times.
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SWHR CEO Kathryn Schubert discusses the gender gap in chronic pain, including how many invisible pain conditions, where the cause of pain may not be immediately physically obvious, like migraine and endometriosis, disproportionately affect women and are subject to intense stigma. Read more.
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Now is the time to propel women’s health forward through policy action. Read about SWHR's policy priorities in public health, research and clinical trials, lifespan issues, coverage and access, and the biomedical workforce in our inaugural Women's Health Policy Agenda.
SWHR also recently released our position statements on key women's health policy issues:
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SWHR signed on to a letter encouraging Congress to provide $100 million for the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding would enable SET-NET to scale nationally and serve as the national preparedness and response network to protect pregnant individuals and infants from emerging public health threats. Read more.
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SWHR submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health UNITE Initiative on advancing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in the biomedical research workforce and health equity research. SWHR asked members of the UNITE Initiative to not only address biases that affect communities of color, but also to consider how the intersectional influences of race, ethnicity, and gender can create compounding barriers for individuals in the scientific workforce. Read more.
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SWHR seeks an experienced candidate to support the planning and execution of our growing portfolio of science programs. This person will perform cross-cutting functions to assist in strategic planning and communications related to science programs.
SWHR seeks a highly motivated candidate to be responsible for maintaining and updating our donor database, including data entry and integrity, analysis, and report generation.
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On May 11-12, the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health will host the 5th Annual NIH Vivian W. Pinn Symposium. This year’s symposium will illustrate the scientific, societal, and economic opportunities of integrating sex and gender into biomedical research. As a Steering Committee member, SWHR hopes you will join us! Register today.
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On May 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET, join Johns Hopkins Medicine’s A Woman’s Journey for a conversation with Dr. Selvi Rajagopal on ways to implement a holistic approach to achieve health goals through sustainable weight loss and weight maintenance, and with key elements of nutrition, exercise, mental health, and medication management. Register.
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The Springboard Enterprises, in partnership with the Women’s Health Innovation Coalition and Accenture, will host a virtual event on May 26 at 11:00 a.m. ET, discussing the sex disparities in bone health & aging. Learn more.
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Join the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health & Gender Biology for a Virtual Summit on the Health of Women: Innovating to Optimize Treatments on June 16-17. This event brings together experts and researchers to discuss and celebrate the progress made in women’s health research and the progress still required. Learn more.
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