When it comes to health, there are crucial differences between men and women.  However, many women and even physicians are not aware that symptoms, diagnosis, progression, and treatment of diseases may be different for women.

Sex is a crucial biological variable that should be considered when designing and analyzing research in all areas and on all levels of biomedical and health related research.

The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), a national non-profit organization based in Washington DC, is widely recognized as the thought leader in research on sex differences and is dedicated to improving women’s health through advocacy, education, and research.

SWHR was founded in 1990 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 considered biological sex as a variable in their research. Read the full history.

SWHR advocates for greater public and private funding for women’s health research and the study of sex differences that affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease; encourages the appropriate inclusion of women and minorities in medical research studies; promotes the analysis of research data for sex and ethnic differences; and informs women, health care providers, and policy makers about contemporary women’s health issues through media outreach and periodic briefings, conferences and special events.

Advocacy

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

SWHR holds frequent briefings for members of Congress and their staff on important health issues that are impacted by congressional policies and funding decisions, 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 to academic medical, health and scientific institutions to encourage coordination and funding for women’s health research.

Education

SWHR’s outreach and education efforts for the general public include media outreach, periodic public education campaigns, a Web site, regular online moderated discussions, electronic newsletters, biweekly news articles distributed to the media, and special events, including conferences for consumers.

SHWR annually presents “Excellence in Women’s Health Research Journalism Awards” to honor journalists who excel in providing the public with valuable and accurate health research information.

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

Research

SWHR’s research works with researchers and clinicians in the public and private sectors to promote and support the field of sex-based biology. SWHR hosts conferences, meetings, workshops and forums to discuss the role biological sex plays in health and physiological function.

SWHR established:

• In 2006, the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD), a scientific membership society to enhance the knowledge of sex/gender differences by facilitating interdisciplinary communication and collaboration among scientists and clinicians of diverse backgrounds.
• In 1999, Isis Fund for Sex-Based Biology is a series of networks working 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”, 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. The goal is to increase the status of professional women through enhanced recognition of their achievements in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics.