"There is much confusion over medications in general, particularly for women," said Phyllis Greenberger, MSW, president and CEO of the Society for Women's Health Research. "We hope this series on pharmacology will provide valuable information to the public, especially life-saving information on how drugs, dosage and interactions may affect women."
The seven articles to be distributed throughout Summer 2002 will cover the following topics:
"The most definitive examples of the importance of understanding biological sex differences in drug response are the eight drugs removed from the market in recent years because of excessive harm to women," said Raymond Woosley, MD, PhD, dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. The Institute of Medicine explored therapeutic interventions in their May 2001 report, Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?, recommending that future pharmacological research investigate differences between men and women. With this new understanding of the importance of sex differences in health and treatment, the Society for Women's Health Research is working with both public and private industry to ensure that the unique health needs of women are met and that the public is well informed.
The Women's Health Research News Service, on-line at www.womens-health.org/press/NewsService/newsservice.htm , specializes in content on the latest research findings on sex differences. The articles cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from autoimmune disorders to skin cancer to AIDS, and from post-traumatic stress disorder to how gender affects success of organ transplantation. Articles are available via automatic e-mail delivery every other week by contacting SarahG@womens-health.org .
The Society for Women's Health Research is the nation's only not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to improve the health of women through research. Founded in 1990, the Society brought to national attention the need for the appropriate inclusion of women in major medical research studies and the resulting need for more information about conditions affecting women. 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, and promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies. Visit the Society's Web site at www.womens-health.org for more information.