A relatively small number of physical disorders are unique to women, are more prevalent or serious in women, or require special prevention or intervention strategies in women. Among the earliest of these to appear developmentally are precocious puberty, for which an effective treatment has recently been developed, and anorexia and bulimia, which are increasing in frequency among young women without effective treatment. Arthritis, diabetes, lupus erythematosus, gallstones, and osteoporosis are other diseases in this category.Reproductive health concerns are a major focus of women's health. The hundred-fold reduction in maternal mortality related to pregnancy is one of the major public health achievements of this century. Despite effective contraceptives, over half the pregnancies in this country are unintended; thus, solving the related problems of infertility and unintended fertility are research priorities. Improving pregnancy outcome, particularly reducing the rate of prematurity, also needs increased attention.Cancer is the leading cause of death in middle-aged women. Lung cancer has replaced breast cancer as the primary cause of cancer death among women due to the increase of cigarette smoking among women. Smoking contributes to numerous other causes of death and disability among women. Of all things women could do to improve their health, the most important would be to avoid smoking.
The relationship between diet and disease has become a key component of health promotion and disease prevention efforts to assist the public in improving their overall health status. The definition of nutrition is in the process of transformation; it...
Atherosclerosis and hypertension are, by far, the most common cardiovascular diseases affecting women, and both are influenced by diet. Atherosclerosis occurs more commonly in men than women; generally women are 10 to 15 years older than men when sym...
It is a regulatory fact that only 14 drugs are approved for use during pregnancy; none of them is specifically approved for use in nursing mothers. With the current emphasis on breast feeding, more data describing levels of drugs in fetal blood and d...
Women can help to control the outcome of various cancers to which they are susceptible through preventive measures and early detection. Low-fat, high-fiber diets will decrease the incidence of breast and colon cancer. Routine screening for cervical a...
This important topic, aging, is really a woman's issue as things now stand. Someday, it is to be hoped, it will be more a man's issue as well, but that is one of the research challenges.Few features of the human aging process have such enormous perso...
Midlife care should consider the whole woman, with preventive attention to osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. A new delivery system, using a skin patch, is available for replacement or additive hormonal therapy. Useful hormonal therapy may incl...
The American Medical Women's Association has chosen as one of its strategic goals for the next year, and probably for a lot longer, preventing young women from smoking. Smoking is of great concern to all as the death rate from lung cancer among women...
Normal cyclic menstruation involves a delicate concert of hormonal events, characterized by midcycle ovulation and, if no pregnancy is achieved, menstrual flow. Women's health--and especially their reproductive health and fertility--may be affected b...
There are a variety of reasons why women are believed to be more susceptible than men to the effects of alcohol. Physical factors, such as body water content and hereditary predisposition to alcoholism, differentiate women from men. Social factors in...
A collection of over 200 symptoms has been labeled premenstrual syndrome. Common belief is that most women experience a marked increase in symptoms premenses. Cyclic variations in the prevalence of commonly cited perimenstrual symptoms were estimated...
The prevalence of illicit drug use is higher among men than women, but new drug use occurs at twice the rate for females as for males. Recent data from emergency rooms and medical examiners support this pattern, but females were more likely than male...
The report of the Public Health Service Task Force on Women's Health Issues identifies five social factors which affect health and also apply to nutrition: cultural and social values, which are at the heart of issues of body size; economic status, wh...
In a prospective study, prenatal risk factors for mental retardation were identified in two large samples of white and black children followed from gestation to age 7 years in the Collaborative Perinatal Project. Important antecedents of severe and m...
These discussions will encompass important areas which relate to the pathophysiology of the menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, only a narrow window of the pathology that is associated with the menstrual cycle will be presented. For instance, areas not t...
There is a direct connection between the doctor-patient relationship and the quality of care. An increase in female and minority physicians leads to a corresponding increase in physician perspective, which allows for improved identification with the ...
Martin, S L; Matza, L S; Kupper, L L; Thomas, J C; Daly, M; Cloutier, S;
Published Date:
1999 May-Jun
Source:
Public Health Rep. 114(3):262-268
Description:
The authors analyzed interview responses of patients at a prenatal care clinic to explore whether women who had been victims of sexual and physical abuse were more likely than non-victimized women to have experienced a sexually transmitted disease (S...
A total of 289 abused women who sought assistance in several battered women's agencies were interviewed. Of these abused women, 70 percent reported a delay of more than a year in seeking help from the agency, even though many of them reported having ...
There are a variety of reasons why women are believed to be more susceptible than men to the effects of alcohol. Physical factors, such as body water content and hereditary predisposition to alcoholism, differentiate women from men. Social factors in...
BackgroundHIV prevention efforts have given limited attention to the relational schemas and scripts of adult heterosexual women. These broader schemas and scripts of romantic and other sexual liaisons, partner selection, relationship dynamics, and po...