Snowe bill would bolster women’s health studies

WASHINGTON — Rep. Olympia J. Snowe introduced legislation Wednesday that would force federal researchers to place greater emphasis on studies into women-related health problems.

A General Accounting Office report released earlier this summer estimated that only 13 percent of the National Health Institute’s research budget is spent on seeking cures to women’s medical problems. NIH is the clearing house for federally funded medical research programs.

Citing the GAO report, Snowe said that NIH has given “scant attention” to the health concerns of women, despite earlier legislation by Congress to reverse the sexist bend in federal research programs.

At last June’s congressional hearing, Snowe pointed out that a study conducted at Rockefeller University to determine whether obesity in women increases their chances of developing cancer of the breasts or uterine lining used only men as research subjects.

Another well-publicized NIH study that concluded taking an aspirin every other day could sharply the reduce the risk of heart attacks involved only men, even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both sexes.

According to NIH officials, part of the rationale for excluding women from research, and even for using male instead of female rats, was that the hormonal changes that occur during menstruation make it difficult to interpret results.

Those officials also expressed concern that female research subjects might get pregnant during research studies and file legal action against the federal program.

Snowe said that her bill, which is titled the Women’s Health Research Act, would ensure that “women no longer are medical afterthoughts.”

The bill would create an Office of Women’s Health at the Department of Heath and Human Services to coordinate women’s health issues, including NIH’s research programs.

It also would establish a center for women’s health research and development at NIH and require NIH to create a program based at the institutes in obstetrics and gynecology.