Society for Women's Health Research - Health Providers

Provider Content Society for Women's Health Research

The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through advocacy, education and research.

Founded in 1990, SWHR brought to national attention the need for the appropriate inclusion of women in major medical research studies and the need for more information about conditions affecting women exclusively, predominately, or differently than men. The Society advocates increased funding for research on women’s health; encourages the study of sex differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease; promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies; and informs women, providers, policy makers and media about contemporary women’s health issues.

SWHR was founded by a group of physicians, medical researchers and health advocates who wanted to bring attention to the myriad of diseases and conditions that affect women uniquely. Women’s health, until then, had been defined primarily as reproductive health. Women were not routinely included in most major medical research studies and scientists rarely examined how the symptoms, diagnosis, progression, and treatment of diseases, such as heart disease and lung cancer, might be different for women.

To change the way research is conducted, SWHR first worked to influence the major federal agencies (National Institutes of Health--NIH, the Food and Drug Administration--FDA, and the US Department of Health & Human Services--DHHS) that fund or influence health and medicine research. Key developments included:

At the National Institutes of Health
•The NIH Revitalization Act became law in 1993, requiring inclusion of women in all clinical research and analysis of results by sex for Phase III clinical trials.
At the Food and Drug Administration
•A 2001 GAO audit of FDA records revealed eight of the last 10 drugs withdrawn from the market caused more adverse events in women.
At Institute of Medicine (IOM)
•2001 report, “Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?,” which concludes that sex matters in health “from womb to tomb” and the exploration of sex differences holds the promise of greater understanding of human biology and significant improvements in health and health care for both women and men.

The SWHR scientific programs department works with researchers and clinicians in the public and private sector to promote and support the field of sex-based biology. SWHR sponsors periodic conferences, meetings and workshops, providing forums to discuss the role biological sex plays in health and physiological function.

SWHR established the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) in 2006, a scientific membership society that advances the study of sex differences and their implications for health and health care.

SWHR’s Isis Fund for Sex Based Biology is a series of networks to foster interdisciplinary basic and clinical research on sex and gender differences: “Sex Differences in Metabolism”, “Sex Differences in the Musculoskeletal System”, “Sex, Gender, Drugs, and the Brain”, and “Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease.

In 2006 the “Society for Women’s Health Research Medtronic Prize for Scientific Contributions to Women’s Health.” was established. The annual $75,000 prize recognizes a woman scientist or engineer for her contributions to women’s health and encourages women to research issues uniquely related to women’s health.

SWHR administers the RAISE Project, which works to ensure that qualified women are nominated for all available awards. The goal is to increase the status of women in science, medicine, and engineering through enhanced recognition and rewards.

The public policy department directs SWHR’s advocacy efforts to ensure that women’s health issues remain a priority on the national agenda.

SWHR holds frequent briefings for members of Congress and their staffs on important health issues that are impacted by congressional policies and funding decisions. SWHR also testifies before congressional committees and provides comment on legislation and regulatory proposals related to women’s health and research.

Supporting its advocacy work, SWHR maintains the Women’s Health Research Coalition (WHRC), an advocacy network of leaders at academic medical, health and scientific institutions and other supportive organizations, united to encourage coordination and funding for women's health research.

SWHR' communications department manages the organization’s outreach and education efforts for the general public, which include media outreach, periodic public education campaigns, a Web site (www.womenshealthresearch.org), regular online moderated discussions, print and electronic newsletters, a biweekly news service distributed to the media, and special events, including conferences for consumers.

Since 2003, SWHR has annually presented the “Excellence in Women’s Health Research Journalism Awards” to honor journalists who excel in providing the public with valuable, accurate and appropriately presented health research information.

In January 2006, SWHR published its first book for consumers, “The Savvy Women Patient: How and Why Sex Differences Impact Your Health.” The book is a guide to health problems and treatments unique to women of all ages and focuses on how women’s health differs from men’s.