What's New in Women's Health — January 2019
Learn about recent developments in women's health as well as SWHR's activities that promote the study of sex differences and serve our mission to eliminate imbalances in care for women through science, policy, and education.
SWHR IN THE NEWS
Yes, they do. Learn about the link between estrogen, menopause, and memory loss in this Being Patient webcast with SWHR Alzheimer's Disease Network Chair Dr. Pauline Maki. Watch now.

Also, check out this related New York Times article, "The Brain Fog of Menopause."
Students lack consistent and reliable access to their schools' restrooms, a recent SWHR survey shows, which can be detrimental to their health as holding in urine may spread bacteria and weaken bladder muscles. Read more in this article from the Pacific Standard .
The U.S. needs more headache specialists and large clinical trials with diverse patient populations designed to assess the safety and efficacy of novel therapies for migraine. These are just a couple of the recommendations in an SWHR review of current research on sex and gender differences in migraine, Pain Medicine News reports .
This New York Times article explores why placental health is critical to the health of a pregnancy and cites a research paper published in SWHR's journal Biology of Sex Differences that found 58 genes that are expressed differently in female and male fetuses during the first trimester.
SWHR is pleased to announce the election of Dr. Alan Wright, chief medical officer at Roche Diagnostics Corp., to its Board of Directors. “We look forward to working with Dr. Wright as SWHR expands its efforts to encourage novel diagnostics development for women,” SWHR CEO Dr. Amy M. Miller said. Read more.
SWHR has hired Sherie Lou Z. Santos, MPH, as director of science policy. In this role, Santos will envision, direct, and implement creative science programs and policy activities designed to improve women’s experiences in health care. Read more on SWHR's blog.
SCIENCE AND HEALTH
The American Academy of Pediatrics renewed its call for physicians to screen new mothers for perinatal depression once during pregnancy and during a baby's well visits at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months. Read more.
Exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women from medical research is putting them at risk. This NPR article highlights the challenges these research gaps create for women and their doctors. Meanwhile, a new report from an expert working group provides recommendations for changing institutional and government practices to ensure pregnant women can access vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
American women have long struggled to access the health care they nee d. A new report from the Commonwealth Fund found that, when compared to 10 other countries, U.S. women report the greatest burden of chronic illness, the highest rates of skipping needed health care because of cost, and the least satisfaction with their care. View the report.
A recent survey reveals that NIH's "sex as a biological variable" policy is accepted and understood by a majority, but not all, of NIH grant reviewers. However, the sex of reviewers appeared to influence their attitude toward the policy, with women significantly more likely to view the policy as favorable compared to men. Read more.
POLICY AND ADVOCACY
In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration, SWHR emphasized the importance of addressing the unique considerations of women as patients, caregivers, and family decision-makers across the lifespan in the FDA's Patient-Focused Drug Development Guidance. Read the letter.
Marsha Henderson, former FDA Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health, retired at the end of 2018 after 22 years of service. “My career has been quite a journey ... and I must say that FDA has been an extraordinary experience,” Henderson said at SWHR's 2014 awards dinner. Watch her speech.
America ranks the worst out of all developed nations on maternal mortality, spurring Congress to pass a bill that authorizes $60 million over the next five years to prevent maternal mortality in the U.S. The money will fund maternal health review committees in every state to collect data on what is killing women during or after childbirth. Read more.
When women face issues accessing health care, it negatively affects their mental and physical well-being. American University's Master of Legal Studies Program compiled a list of resources to help wom en and their health care providers learn about their legal rights when it comes to their health and how to navigate challenges. View the resources.
EVENTS AND DEADLINES
SWHR will honor three leaders for their achievements and support for women's health on May 1, 2019 , at our annual awards dinner in Washington, DC. Buy tickets or sponsor the event to support our mission to improve women's health through science, policy, and education.
Deadlines Approaching: OSSD Travel Award, Women's Health Conference, and Biology of Sex Differences Special Collection
The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health will award up to $3,000 to support travel to the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences annual meeting for a junior investigator focused on women's health or sex/gender differences who also has an interest in research policy. Deadline: February 1.
The abstract submission deadline has been extended for Women's Health 2019, presented by Virginia Commonwealth University's Institute for Women’s Health. Deadline: January 31.
Submit original research articles for an online collection on sex differences in obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and the microbiome.