More than 100 experts at a summit in New York discussed the "Women's Health Agenda"
In the life of every New Yorker there are strong women who gave birth to and raised them - these are mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers. Our teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists, hardworking women who make life in this city possible and inspire us. We owe so much to women. However, for many generations, women's health has not been a priority. For decades, the health care system has been geared toward men.
“I am who I am because of a woman: my mother Dorothy Adams. And I saw my mother and sister suffer as they navigated the healthcare system. They were ignored, forgotten about, and struggled to get the help they needed. The administration is already actively working to change the situation. Last week, we held our first-ever Women's Health Summit to lay the groundwork for shaping the future of women's health care in this city. We are going to make New York a national model for supporting the health of women and girls, including the LGBT community,” said Mayor Adams.
The summit brought together more than 100 experts from a variety of industries to form New York's first "Women's Health Program." It is based on four key areas that are critical to women's health:
1. Chronic diseases
Women should not have to wait decades for an accurate diagnosis. Women are diagnosed with the most common diseases on average four years later than men. Therefore, there is a need to expand women's health research and reduce disparities in health research to close this gap in knowledge and outcomes. Many people don't realize it, but heart disease is the leading cause of death for adult women in New York City. So many people have put off critical preventive screenings during COVID, so we will work to increase the use of preventive services and approaches to reduce morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases.
2. Equality at birth
Black and Latina women should not have to live under inequalities that deny them access and care. Black women are nine times more likely to die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth than white women. And maternal mortality among Black women has increased during COVID, so access to high-quality maternal health services, including the use of doulas and midwives, needs to be expanded to eliminate disparities and reduce mortality overall.
3. Sexual and reproductive health
Every fifth woman suffers from infertility. For this and many other reasons, sexual and reproductive health systems need to provide comprehensive services for women and girls, including treatment for menopause, infertility, birth control and access to abortion drugs.
4. Mental health
It's no secret that mental health has suffered during the pandemic. And 14% of women in New York suffer from depression. Among the LGBT community, this figure is even higher. So we're going to build a mental health system that's dedicated to women and the LGBT community.
The results of last week's summit will form the basis of the New York City Agenda for Women's Health report, which will be released this summer.
Author: Irina Proskurina
