Webinars
SWHR hosts virtual events that feature expert researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and patient advocates discussing the latest information around research, clinical care, and policy for a variety of diseases and conditions that disproportionately or differently affect women.
Watch THe recordings
October 2022
Understanding the Tests that Could Save My Breasts
https://youtu.be/tBtqFW6djqw In the United States, there are more than 100 diagnostic tests and procedures available for detecting diseases and monitoring their progression. Diagnostic tools are also used to guide treatments and evaluate their effectiveness. Some tests are invasive, such as a biopsy or endoscopy; whereas others are noninvasive, such as x-rays and ultrasound imaging procedures. Innovations in diagnostics provide access to health information, helping women make informed decisions about their health care at every stage of their lives. Screening and…
Closing the Loop for Lupus: A Fireside Chat
https://youtu.be/w8dlpatSW4o Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by widespread inflammation that often results in damage to the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys and blood vessels. An estimated 1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus, and 90% are women between the ages of 15 and 44. Lupus is more prevalent among women of color, who also develop symptoms at younger ages and have more severe symptoms and complications from the disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common…
Psoriatic Arthritis: More than Just Sore Joints
https://youtu.be/MsfbWPzQxgY More than 8 million individuals in the United States have psoriasis. This chronic inflammatory skin disease is characterized by patches of red or discolored and irritated skin that are often covered by flaky white or gray scales, depending on the skin type. An estimated 10-30% of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA) – a type of inflammatory arthritis linked to psoriasis. Approximately 40% of people with PsA report significant impacts on their everyday life, and despite…
November 2022
Moving Conversations About Alzheimer’s Disease into Policy and Practice: An SWHR Town Hall
https://youtu.be/z1eSzWzg54o Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a rapidly growing and costly public health crisis that has a disproportionate impact on women, and especially women of color. Improving AD outcomes—for both patients and caregivers—requires a multi-layered approach that involves communities, clinicians, nonprofit groups, organizations, and state and federal policymakers. Achieving this shift will require not only enacting federal policies that support access to care, make early detection easier, and prioritize research investments in cognitive health, but importantly, it also requires ensuring that…
Psoriatic Arthritis: A Woman’s Toolkit to Soar Above the Pain
https://youtu.be/nYsUo_LcAEQ More than 8 million individuals in the United States have psoriasis. This chronic inflammatory skin disease is characterized by patches of red or discolored and irritated skin that are often covered by flaky white or gray scales, depending on the skin type. An estimated 10-30% of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA)–a type of inflammatory arthritis linked to psoriasis. Approximately 40% of people with PsA report significant impacts on their everyday life, and although PsA occurs equally…
Cancer Prevention through the HPV Vaccine: A Women’s Health Initiative
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 85% of people will get a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in their lifetime. While most HPV infections go away on their own, some may persist and cause cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, and/or oropharyngeal cancers. The HPV vaccine has proven effective in reducing the incidence of HPV infections, genital warts, and cervical precancers. Despite guidance from the CDC and American Cancer Society supporting HPV vaccination in childhood (ideally between 9-12…
December 2022
Closing the Loop for Lupus: A Wellness Toolkit for Women
https://youtu.be/tnYYcYDMuS8 Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by widespread inflammation that often results in damage to the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys and blood vessels. An estimated 1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus, and 90% are women between the ages of 15 and 44. Lupus is more prevalent among women of color, who also develop symptoms at younger ages and have more severe symptoms and complications from the disease.Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common type…
Addressing Concerns and Considerations Surrounding the Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating Populations in Research
https://youtu.be/OChZmjqP08w Pregnant and lactating women have historically been excluded from clinical trials. Federal policies from the 1970s that excluded “women of childbearing age” from research led research to use male participants, limiting our knowledge base. Although a 1994 report from the Institute of Medicine recommended that pregnant women be presumed to be eligible to participate in clinical studies and that lactating women not be excluded from clinical studies, concerns remain about including pregnant and lactating populations in research. During this…
January 2023
The Growing National Burden of Autoimmune Diseases and the Role of Policy in Improving Outcomes
Autoimmune diseases are a group of more than 80 chronic and often disabling diseases that develop when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own healthy organs, tissues, and cells. Women are disproportionately affected by autoimmune diseases, representing 80% of patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. Women also experience greater expectations when it comes to caregiving for those who may suffer from these chronic conditions. The Society for Women’s Health Research hosted a public forum on January 17, 2023, where panelists…
Friends of ORWH Congressional Reception
The Friends of the Office of Research on Women’s Health invite you to a congressional reception in celebration of Women’s Health Research Day, which commemorates the implementation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy on Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) in January 2016. The day aims to raise awareness of the historical underrepresentation of women in clinical trials, the importance of designing basic, preclinical, and biomedical research studies in females and males, and the need to disaggregate and…