WASHINGTON,
D.C. -- I applaud the passage of H.R. 1784, the Women’s Health Office
Act. By establishing Offices of Women’s Health throughout different
agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services, this legislation
recognizes the ongoing need to focus attention on various health issues
particularly related to women. Women make up over half the adult
population of this country and it is critical that we make women’s health
a top priority.
For
years, almost all medical research was conducted from a male perspective,
while women’s medical needs were ignored. Today there is a need for
more research on breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer, hormone replacement
therapy, and how various ailments such as osteoporosis and heart disease
specifically affect women. It is important that we conduct this research,
not as an afterthought, but as primary research important to everyone’s
well-being.
There
is also a need to ensure that all women in the U.S. have access to health
care coverage, including comprehensive reproductive health care, prenatal
care, preventative care, and coverage throughout menopause and old age.
Too many poor and low-income women in this country have little or no access
to health care. This is particularly harmful and unacceptable for
pregnant women and women suffering from ongoing ailments.
I
also expect the new Offices of Women’s Health within the various agencies
to focus on domestic violence and sexual assault as serious threats to
both women’s health and public health in general. Violence against
women is the leading cause of injury to women in American between the ages
of 15 and 54. Not only does this violence leave victims with visible
injuries, but it can lead to other physical problems and emotional distress.
It is critical that we look at violence against women from a medical perspective,
as well as examine its social consequences, in order to recognize it, address
it, and work to end it. |