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Women's Health Updates — July 2024
This newsletter features information about autoimmune diseases, uterine fibroids, and more!
Read 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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FIBROIDS AWARENESS MONTH
This month, we aim to bring awareness to the critical women's health condition of uterine fibroids. An estimated 26 million women ages 15 to 50 in United States have fibroids. By age 50, 80% of Black women and 70% of white women will have fibroids. Learn more about how to diagnose and treat fibroids in SWHR's resources, from the Uterine Fibroids Toolkit to the Focus on Fibroids Fact Sheet.
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NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH MONTH
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20% more likely to report having “serious psychological distress” than non-Hispanic whites. Read more on the SWHR blog.
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SWHR Releases Autoimmune Fact Sheet! | |
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Autoimmune diseases affect more than 24 million Americans, and four out of five patients are women. Sex hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, play unique roles in the body that contribute to differences between women and men concerning autoimmune diseases.
In the new fact sheet, Autoimmune Disease in Women, learn how different autoimmune diseases impact women throughout the body, such as within the endocrine system, the digestive system, the integumentary system, and the musculoskeletal system.
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SWHR Advocacy Corner
Sign-on Opportunity Opposing NIH Restructuring Proposal in FY25 LHHS Bill
On June 25, House appropriators released the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) spending bill. Among the provisions, the bill provides flat funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at $48 billion, and notably, calls for “the largest restructuring of NIH in a generation,” proposing consolidating NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers into 15.
Representative Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, has shared that the most effective thing the research community can do is oppose this bill and urge there to be congressional hearings and a deliberate bipartisan and bicameral process before moving forward with authorizing legislation to restructure the NIH. A few professional associations, including SWHR, are circulating a sign-on opportunity opposing this proposal’s inclusion in an appropriations bill without hearings, data, and review of the impact on biomedical research.
Any national nonprofit organization, medical or professional association, or academic institution wishing to sign onto this letter can do so by completing this Google Form by Monday, July 8. No individual signatures, please. A link to the letter can be found within the form.
House Ways & Means Committee Advances TROA
The House Ways & Means Committee last week advanced an amended version of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). According to the Obesity Action Coalition, “The new provisions limit the coverage of obesity medications to incoming Medicare beneficiaries who have been using these medications with prescription coverage in the year prior to joining Medicare. Additionally, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is directed to update coverage for Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT) for obesity.”
Prior to the Committee’s consideration of the bill, SWHR sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Ways & Means Committee expressing support for marking up the bill and called for coverage of the full range of obesity treatment options. Read the letter here.
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Endometriosis Advocacy Toolkit
Despite its prevalence, the exact cause of endometriosis is still unknown, and research into endometriosis has been underfunded and under prioritized. The Endometriosis Advocacy Toolkit was created by the Society with support from Endo What?, Endo Black, Inc., Endometriosis Foundation of America, and The Endo Co., in order to support endometriosis advocates in contacting their congressional representatives and asking for increased funding for endometriosis research and care.
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SWHR Updates:
Learn more about SWHR's policy work here.
Industry Updates:
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Women's Health In Focus at NIH is the quarterly publication of the NIH Office of Research, offering thought-provoking information about women's health; newly funded NIH research; and entry, retention, and advancement of women scientists in the biomedical field. This quarter's publication spotlights global women's health.
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A new NIH publication, "Ensuring Accountability for Consideration of Sex as a Biological Variable in Research," will appear in the July-August 2024 issue of Nursing Outlook. It asserts the expectation that researchers account for the influence of SABV in vertebrate animal and human studies and provides a strong justification for single-sex investigations.
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SWHR EVENT JULY 11: Spotlighting the VA MOVE! Program’s Approach to Weight Management
MOVE! is a national, evidence-based weight management program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), designed to achieve clinically meaningful (~5%) weight loss. During this webinar, VA staff will provide insights into the program, including lessons learned and what results the VA has seen from the program to date. Register now.
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JULY 11-13: The White Dress Project 2024 Empowerment Experience
The White Dress Project is celebrating 10 years of impact in spreading awareness on the widespread occurrence of uterine fibroids during Fibroid Awareness Month! Join the 2024 EmPOWERment Experience for panel discussions, a Zumba session, a fundraising gala, and more.
Meet SWHR at the event! The Society will have an booth at this event. Register now.
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JULY 17: Amplifying Women’s Health: Bridging Science, Policy, and Education
Join the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association for an in-depth exploration of the current landscape of women’s health in the United States, where they will unveil critical data and discuss actionable strategies to improve women’s health across the lifespan. SWHR President and CEO Katie Schubert will speak at this event. Register now.
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JULY 23: Menopause and Midlife Women’s Health
Women’s Congressional Policy Institute in cooperation with Reps. Kat Cammack and Susie Lee, Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus and Reps. Monica De La Cruz and Emilia Strong Sykes, Vice-Chairs of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus invite you to a briefing on Menopause and Midlife Women’s Health. SWHR Working Group member Karen Giblin of Red Hot Mamas will be speaking at this event. Register now.
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JULY 23-25: Women’s Health Therapeutics & Diagnostics Summit
The Women’s Health Therapeutics & Diagnostics Summit presents a unique platform to combine forces across biotech and biopharma, to drive innovation and clinical progress across a range of disease indications. From endometriosis to infertility, the need for in-depth conversations surrounding current standard of care, technological advancements and innovative pipeline developments has never been higher.
Use the promo code SWHR10 receive 10% off all passes for new customers. Register now.
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BEGINNING SEPT 11: Women’s Health: A Physiological Analysis
The American Physiological Society, SWHR, and InsideScientific are pleased to announce a joint webinar series covering late-breaking research, novel discovery, fundamental principles, and research innovation in the field of women’s health and related disease models. This program of interactive live events includes scientific lectures from leading researchers around the world, as well as technology and methods sessions focused on innovative laboratory techniques central to research and related models of disease in the field of women’s health. Learn more.
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SEPT 23-25: 13th Advancing Women’s Leadership in Pharma & Healthcare
During the 13th Advancing Women’s Leadership in Pharma & Healthcare conference, attendees will get detailed and comprehensive insights into overcoming career obstacles, gaining access to the C-suite, cultivating a mentor / mentee relationship, and much more! Learn more.
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SWHR EVENT SEPT 24: Women’s Unique Health Needs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Women’s Unique Health Needs and the SDGs, a call to action co-hosted by the ECHAlliance and SWHR, is a program during the Science Summit United Stations General Assembly (UNGA79) this fall, taking place in New York City. This series of sessions will discuss key developments and opportunities to advance women’s health care and research.
Join us as a partner in September! Sponsorship opportunities are available. Explore the event sponsorship prospectus here. The number of sponsorships at each level is limited. For more details and to secure your participation, reach out to SWHR at development@swhr.org.
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SEPT 23-25: 13th Advancing Women’s Leadership in Pharma & Healthcare
During the 13th Advancing Women’s Leadership in Pharma & Healthcare conference, attendees will get detailed and comprehensive insights into overcoming career obstacles, gaining access to the C-suite, cultivating a mentor / mentee relationship, and much more! Learn more.
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OCT 23-25: National Conference on Women’s Health and Sex Differences Research
Hosted by the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, this conference strengthens and advances the national research agenda on women’s health and sex differences. Early bird registration ends August 1, 2024.
Meet SWHR at the event! SWHR Chief Science Officer Dr. Irene Aninye will be in attendance at this event. Register now.
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WOMEN'S HEALTH PERSPECTIVES | |
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"A consultation with my doctor found a large fibroid, the size of a grapefruit, on my uterus. It was pressing on my nerves, causing back and leg pain, and was sitting on my bladder, creating the frequent need to urinate."
Read Jennifer's full women's health story, on the Women’s Health Perspectives hub.
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Do you have a health story to share? SWHR is always seeking stories about diagnoses, seeking or providing care, and living with narcolepsy, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or other conditions or life stages such as menopause. Visit swhr.org/shareyourstory or click the button to share. | |
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