why womens health matters
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Ann McSwain, RN, MSN, CCRN, CCNS, APRN, BC
Food for ThoughtFood for Thought What does research say about women’s
health?
How does your gender affect your health?
How does your culture affect your health?
What are the differences between men’s
and women's health?
Why look at WOMEN’S Why look at WOMEN’S health?health?
Women make health care decisions
Women spend health care dollars
Women are role models for family members
Women’s bodies, thoughts, attitudes,
actions, and “world” are VERY different
than those of men’s
2/3 of women are solely responsible for family health care decisions
72% of informal caregivers are women Women’s health issues are different
than men’s More women lack health care coverage than
men Health providers may not provide the same
level of care for women as they do for men
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health (2001). Women’s Health Issues: An Overview. Available at http://www.4woman.gov .
A woman’s health is a reflection of her…
Family genetics
Culture
Social norms
Economics
Physical environment
Daily actions and thoughts
Some differences can be explained…
Culture – low self-esteem, stress, lack of assertiveness, less active, male decision-making, female roles (family needs come 1st)
Barriers – lower income, less insurance, child/parent care responsibilities
Attitudes – emphasis on physical appearance, lower educational expectations
Hormones – may protect against heart disease, but after menopause there is more risk
…And some have not yet been discovered!
Question to Ponder >>> How often do you ask your health care
providers if medications might affect women differently or work differently in women?
Always Most of the time Sometimes Almost never Never
Question to Ponder >>> How often do you ask your pharmacist if
medications might affect women differently or work differently in women?
Always Most of the time Sometimes Almost never Never
Question to Ponder >>>
How often do you read the label of medications to see if they might affect women differently or work differently in women?
Always Most of the time Sometimes Almost never Never
$0
$25,000
$50,000
Note: Includes women and men ages 15 and older. Source: US Census Bureau, August 2006 American Community Survey Reports.
Women Men
Median Income, by Sex, 2006
$32,649
$42,210
Wage Gap Persists… Throughout Lifetime
Note: Includes women and men ages 18 to 64. Source: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Women’s Health Survey, 2004.
Barriers to Health Services, by Gender, 2004
27%
21%
14%
11%
22%
15%
Women
Men
Had health problem andneeded to see doctor but
did not
Unable to see a specialistwhen needed
Could not afford to filla prescription
Access to Health Services Is a Problem for Many
Women’s Health Care Needs, by Age, 2004
Source: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Women’s Health Survey, 2004
23%
50%
59%
9%18%
22% 23% 26%
16%
Chronic ConditionThat Requires
Ongoing Treatment
Disability orLimiting Illness
Diagnosis of Anxiety/Depression
18 to 44
45 to 64
65+
Women’s Health Care Needs Change With Age
“When women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: families are healthier, they are better fed, their income, savings and reinvestments go up. And what is true of families is true of communities and eventually whole countries.”
- Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General