Each of us, without exception, has a sex that is influenced by gender roles and the world around us. We know that both Sex and Gender have a major impact on health and wellbeing, and so should be considered in every aspect of medicine.
We need to evolve in our approach to the clinical care of women from a focus on reproductive concerns to a perspective that considers biological (sex) and psychosocial (gender) factors, and the interaction between the two. This awareness will foster truly individualized care that encompasses preventive strategies, diagnostic procedures, treatment modalities, and medication dosages. The Sex and Gender Women’s Health Collaborative (formerly the Advancing Women’s Health Initiative) is directed under the auspices of the Foundation for Women’s Health — leaders from our Founding Partners: American Medical Women’s Association, the American College of Women’s Health Physicians the Society of Women’s Health Research, and with generous inkind support provided by the Laura Bush Institute for Women’s Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center — and supported by a growing network of medical and academic institutions, professional organizations, government agencies and individuals who share a vision of women’s health and gender specific medicine.
Bringing a sex and gender perspective to clinical practice assures a comprehensive understanding and sensitivity that provides for distinct differences and similarities between the sexes that ultimately will improve medical care for all. For more information, contact us: SGWHC