Module 1: Introduction to Women's Health Flashcards
why should we study women’s health?
- general health information is androgenic (focused on men)
- women’s health impacts future generations (taking care of children, pregnancy)
define androgenic and how it relates to health information
- focused or centered on men
- what we know about health was researched by and on men, centered around the male mind and body
what heart attack symptoms are generally associated with women?
- nausea
- back pain
- sweating
- jaw pain
is the medical model still male centered?
yes
describe the importance of thalidomide on women’s health
- thalidomide was a prescription treatment for hyperemesis, often used by pregnant women
- it ended up causes many birth defects in babies, such as limb abnormalities
- the research on the medication was done on men, not women or pregnant women
what women’s health movement/event occurred between the 1830s and 1840s?
the popular health movement
when were women involved in health for the first time?
- the popular health movement
- 1830s and 1840s
what two aspects of health were women focused on during the popular health movement?
- abstinence
- diet and nutrition
what women’s health movement/event occurred between 1861 and 1865?
the civil war
when were women first involved in health care?
- the civil war
- 1861 to 1865
how were women involved in health care during the civil war (1861 to 1865)?
battlefield nurses
what women’s health figure was prominent during the civil war (1861 to 1865)?
Dorthea Dix
describe Dorthea Dix and her accomplishments
- superintendent nurse
- reformed mental health hospitals/asylums
- set standards for hospitals and asylums
what women’s health movement/event occurred between 1873 and the 1890s?
the women’s medical movement
what are the important improvements in women’s health made during the women’s medical movement?
- first training schools for nurses
- women started attending medical schools
who was the prominent women during the women’s medical movement?
Elizabeth Blackwell
who was the first women to get a medical degree in the US? what did she specialize in?
- Elizabeth Blackwell
- OB/GYN
why were women not allowed to go to medical school before the women’s medical movement?
it was believed that women were too emotional and not analytical enough
what women’s health movement/event occurred between the 1890s and 1920s?
the progressive era
what were the hallmarks of the progressive era?
- women gained the ability to vote via the 19th amendment
- the birth control movement began
were women guaranteed equal rights during the progressive era?
- no, and we still aren’t
- small pieces of legislation have been passed to slowly work towards equal rights
when did the 19th amendment pass?
1920
when did women start trying to get the right to vote?
1848
what is included in the idea of equal rights?
economic, political, and social rights
where did the first birth control clinic open and by who?
- New York City
- Margaret Sanger
describe the process of Margaret Sanger starting the first birth control clinic
- opened her clinic
- was arrested for corruption
- was overturned on appeal
- was decided that she could only give birth control to married women with a doctor’s note
what happened to Margaret Sanger’s first birth control clinic?
it became planned parenthood
what practice did Margaret Sanger believe that many think to be bad and discriminatory?
eugenics based on SES
what women’s health movement/event occurred between the 1930s and 1950s?
world war II and the postwar years
what was the major effect of world war II on women’s health?
women entered the workforce to fill in for men who had been drafted
what happened to women after world war II ended?
most women lost their jobs
how many women lost their jobs when world war II ended?
18 million
why was working during world war II so important for women if they lost their jobs when it ended?
it gave women a taste of what it could be like to be self-sufficient and live a life outside of the home
what report was conducted during world war II and post war years era?
the Kinsey report
what did the Kinsey report conclude?
- women have sex and can enjoy it
- women have sex before marriage
what women’s health movement/event occurred between the 1960s and 1970s?
the grassroots movement
what were three important things that happened during the grassroots movement?
- FDA approved the birth control pill
- civil rights act, title VII
- creation of the congressional caucus for women’s issues
when was the birth control pill approved?
1960
what were forms of contraception used before the birth control pill?
- condoms
- diaphragm
did all women have access to the birth control pill in 1960?
- no, only those who were married
- unmarried access was given in the 1970s
what was the significance of the civil right act, title VII?
protected women against employment discrimination
describe the congressional caucus for women’s issues that was created during the grassroots movement
- subcommittee in congress
- worked on issues surrounding family planning, breast/ovarian cancer, infertility
- only women were involved after the creation
what women’s health movement/event occurred in the 1980s?
changing of public policy
what happened during the changing of public policy in the 1980s?
- office of research on women’s health was created
- the women’s health equity act was created
what was the purpose of the office of research on women’s health?
- ensure women’s access and entrance into clinical trials
- promote women in STEM
what was the purpose of the women’s health equity act?
- delegated money for women’s health research (contraception, infertility, breast/ovarian cancer)
- Medicaid coverage of pap smear screening and mammography
define feminism
the idea that women should have the same political, economic, and social rights and opportunities as men
are all feminists women
- no
- can be anyone, men or women
describe the first wave of feminism
- late 19th and early 20th century (1800s to early 1900s)
- suffragists and abolitionists
describe the second wave of feminism
- 1960s and 1970s
- specific, political injustices and inequalities
- focused on the lack of reproductive freedom and job discrimination
- roe v wade in 1973
describe the third wave of feminism
- 1980s and 1990s
- examining all areas of society from a feminist perspective
- focused on sexual harassment, the wage gap, domestic violence/IPV, access to abortion
what organization is the office of research on women’s health (ORWH) apart of
national institute of health (NIH)
why is the office of research on women’s health (ORWH) important
- women get different diseases than men
- the same diseases affect men and women differently
- social and cultural factors affect the health of men and women in different ways
what are the positives of the investment in biomedical research
- increased life expectancy
- improved health through the life span, quality of life
- decreased cost of illness
- increased understanding of biological, psychological, and sociological factors
how has life expectancy changed from the 1700s to now
- 1700s: 28
- now: 70s
what are the life expectancies of men and women
- men: 74
- women: 78
what specific methods of improving women’s health and quality of life are underused and underfunded in the US
- prevention
- most money is spent on treatment of illnesses rather than prevention measures
list 5 gender-related differences between men and women
- heart disease
- depression
- osteoporosis
- smoking
- sexually transmitted infections
what is the number one leading cause of death for both men and women in the US
heart disease
how many more women does heart disease kill than men per year
kills 50,000 more women than men per year
when does heart disease typically begin in men and women
- starts 10 years later in women than in men
- men: 40s to 50s
- women: 50s to 60s
what are some biological factors that cause heart disease to be more dangerous for women than men
- heart disease strikes 10 years later for women, making it harder for the body to overcome and adapt to treatments
- women have higher chances of a second heart attack within 1 year
what are some social factors that cause heart disease to be more dangerous for women than men
- there is less of an understanding of the symptoms of heart disease in women than in men causing it to be under-diagnosed
- aggressive treatments tend to be prescribed less for women than for men
how much more likely are women to have depression than men
2-3x more likely
how much more likely are women to have anxiety than men
5x more likely
what are biological and social causes of depression being more prevalent in women than in men
- biological: women (XX chromosomes) have 10% less serotonin than men (XY)
- social: social expectations and pressures
define osteoporosis
demineralization of bone
what percent of people with osteoporosis are women
80%
why do women have higher rates of osteoporosis
- estrogen helps maintain bone density
- estrogen levels drop off significantly following menopause
describe how smoking more negatively affects women than men
- more negative effects on CV health
- less successful in quitting
- more severe withdrawal symptoms (headache, moodiness, anxiety, increased food intake)
how much more likely are women to contract an STI when exposed
2x more likely
how much more likely are women to contract HIV when exposed
10x more likely
why are women more likely to contract STIs
- women have a larger surface area where bacteria or viruses can invade
- for men to be infected, the pathogen has to enter the urethra
- for women to be infected, the pathogen has to touch the mucous membrane walls of the vagina
when was roe v wade enacted and when was it overturned
- enacted 1/22/1973
- overturned 6/24/2022
describe the Mexico city policy (global gag rule)
- foreign family planning agencies may not receive US assistance if they provide certain services related to abortion
- rescinded and reinstated many times over the years (rescinded by democrats and reinstated by republicans)
list barrier to healthcare access
- low SES
- language barriers and illiteracy
- unfair treatment by medical personnel due to race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation
- decline of coverage for healthcare costs deemed experimental (often cancer drugs)
- fear of doctors leading to avoidance of health care
what is the national language of the US
- the US does not have a national language
- English in predominant
list global threats to women’s health
- poverty
- underweight and malnutrition
- HIV/AIDS
- violence
- maternal morbidity and mortality
list global violations of human rights
- domestic and societal violence
- honor killings
- trafficking for sex or service
- barriers to reproductive health services
who usually carries out an honor killing
young male family member
