Women's Health
Beth Levy, Co-President

Women’s health has become a political issue. Unfortunately, many politicians are pandering to the voters by only putting in appearances at events that they think will garner women’s votes, such as breast cancer awareness events. Presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush appeared recently at a breast cancer event on Long Island, yet his record on passing or enacting legislation on breast cancer or other women’s health issues has been despicable.

Our health is crucial. As we recently heard from Dr. Lynne Perry-Bottinger at the Summer Solstice celebration, there is gender bias in medicine. Dr. Bottinger, a cardiologist, is a leader in a movement called gender-based medicine, which takes into account the differences between men and women in diagnosis, treatment, medication and basic physiology. Her inspiring talk dealt with how women’s symptoms for heart disease differ from men’s, yet there is not enough clinical data to assist doctors in this area. In addition, she pointed out that there need to be more studies dealing with women, as our bodies respond to treatment differently. Heart disease affects women more than we think because it is known as a “man’s” disease.

Although we have made strides in the area of breast cancer research, we have a long way to go.  Without grass-root organizations such as NOW and the Women’s Health and Wellness Coalition, local politicians would not address women’s health issues adequately. Studies - which were instigated by women’s groups - which show that areas such as Westchester and Long Island have more incidents of breast cancer, need to be immediately addressed. Research into the environmental causes of breast cancer remains a low priority among government agencies because of pressure from industry. Pharmaceutical companies in particular have a vested interest in keeping breast cancer research focused on drug therapies, such as tamoxifen, and away from environmental pollution. In addition, although breast cancer has become a big issue for the women’s movement, we must not forget that women are dying of lung cancer and colon cancer in great numbers. As women’s treatment for lung cancer and colon cancer may differ from those of men’s, we need to fight for specific research and legislation for cancers other than just breast cancer.

Cancer and heart disease are only two issues related to women’s health that need to be addressed. There also need to be more studies dealing with pregnant women who are diagnosed with cancer or AIDS. Women generally are delaying their pregnancies and are, unfortunately, getting cancer while pregnant at an increasing rate. Who will take on this research if pregnant women do not gather together to tell their stories and urge doctors to take on the research?

Women face serious financial barriers to accessing many medical services, including cancer prevention screening. Many women pay large out of pocket costs for contraceptives and prescriptions. Although osteoporosis is rampant for women over age 50, early detection through bone-mass measurement and hormone treatments are also cost-prohibitive. It is crucial to urge our local and national politicians to pass legislation to help all women gain access to critical services.

I have found NOW’s legislative updates to be crucial in dealing with women’s health issues. For example, this past Mother’s Day NOW urged older women to send Congress members their empty prescription bottles, with a note inside indicating how much they spend each month on prescription drugs. We need to let Congress know that there is an urgent need for coverage of the costs for Medicare prescription drugs.

In addition to the issues outlined above, there is also not enough money for support services for women who are sick. Volunteering at places such as Gilda’s Club is a good way to help women through illness. Volunteer drivers are also needed to assist cancer patients in getting to their treatment centers. Call The American Cancer Society at (914) 949-4800 for information on how you can help. Other groups in which to get involved, are: The Breast Cancer Fund, 282 Second Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA  94105-3130, (415) 543-2979, Women’s Health and Wellness Coalition, 853 Broadway, Suite 2120, New York, New York, 10003 (212) 674-5153, and, of course, NOW.