INTRODUCTION - IMMUNOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Immunological disorders, such as lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, afflict a much greater proportion of women than men. And cancers of the breast, lung, ovary and colon are still major contributors to the mortality of American women.

Fortunately, the long-standing failure to understand or to determine gender differences in health, disease and access to care has now been recognized and is being redressed through new policies and programs on the Federal and local levels.

In 1990, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Office of Research on Women's Health to address gaps in the medical community's understanding of women's health through biomedical and behavioral research. The office has the mandate and resources to support basic and clinical research that will provide the scientific knowledge base needed to develop gender-appropriate techniques and efficacious treatments and interventions to improve the health of women.

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