Women’s Health and the Environment: Innovations in Science and Policy

Abstract

Current scientific findings indicate that environmental factors affect women’s health. Specifically, evidence has accumulated on the effects of the environment on reproductive health, cancer, injury, respiratory problems, autoimmune diseases, and other health problems. To review the current state of the science and policies related to women’s health and the environment, the Federal Interagency Working Group on Women’s Health and the Environment of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Society for Women’s Health Research jointly sponsored a conference in 1998 entitled Women’s Health and the Environment: Innovations in Science and Policy. The aim of the conference was to provide a forum for scientists to share recent findings, promising avenues of research, methodological barriers, and data gaps about women’s susceptibility to environmental agents. The conference generated 22 recommendations for policy, 17 recommendations for communication and training, and 48 recommendations for research to be considered by the federal government. The purpose of this review is to bring to the attention of the scientific community and policymakers the breadth of the women’s health implications associated with environmental factors by highlighting key research findings presented at the conference. This review summarizes the current status of science in women’s health, it describes relevant activities by the federal government, and it suggests recommendations for future research and policy initiatives in the context of women’s health and the environment.