Overview
What is Women's Health?
Women's health is a discipline devoted to facilitating the preservation of wellness and prevention of illness in women and includes:
- Screening
- Diagnosis
- Management of conditions which are
- unique to women
- more common or more serious in women
- have manifestations, risk factors, or interventions that are different in women
- unique to women
The Institute of Medicine 2001 report on "Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?" 1 revealed that the genetic sex of a cell, organ, organism, or person influences behavior, development, genetic risks, and disease susceptibility.
Differing health needs and risks in women and men extend beyond reproductive systems and hormonal profiles. Major gaps still exist in the knowledge base about female and male differences in the etiology, prevention, and treatment of many health problems.
Mission of Stanford's Women's Health Program:
Women's Health, a multi-disciplinary program within the School of Medicine, based in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is dedicated to enhancing the health of women through the integration of biomedical and social science, by way of interdisciplinary, collaborative efforts, from a sex/gender-differentiated perspective. We are committed to expanding and fostering translational research by integrating basic, clinical and population science; as well as being a leader in women's health medical and community education programs.
1 "Exploring
the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?" Theresa
M. Wizemann and Mary-Lou Pardue, Institute of Medicine Committee on Understanding
the Biology of Sex and Gender Differences, Board on Health Sciences Policy.
National Academy Press: 2001.
