The Endocrine Society advocates for better access to and coverage of women’s health services, increased funding for women’s health research, inclusion of women in clinical trials, recognition of sex as a biological variable in research, and increased funding for Title X programs.
- Increasing Access to Reproductive Health Care: The Endocrine Society advocates for all individuals to have access to comprehensive health care, which includes reproductive health care. In comment letters to the Department of Health and Human Services, we have explained that reproductive health care, including contraception, can be used to treat several endocrine diseases and that ensuring access to this care is critical to improving health. In February, the Society endorsed The Access to Family Building Act, legislation protecting access to safe and effective in-vitro fertilization.
- Advocacy to Support Women’s Health: The Endocrine Society advocates for better access to and coverage of women’s health services, increased funding for women’s health research, inclusion of women in clinical trials, recognition of sex as a biological variable in research, and increased funding for Title X programs. The Endocrine Society’s advocacy has resulted in increased support of the Office of Women’s Health Research (ORWH) at the NIH. Endocrine Society members Theresa Woodruff, PhD and Hadine Joffe PhD shared information at a congressional briefing with NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health Director Janine Clayton, MD.
- Supporting Women’s Health Research: The Society is a vocal advocate for supporting women’s health research. We work with the Office of Women’s Health Research at the NIH and at the Department of Health and Human Services. We supported and have been invited to help advise the new White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which is designed to identify gaps and opportunities. The Endocrine Society provided recommendations to the White House in January 2024. Endocrine Society members and women's health experts including Jane Reusch, MD, and Nico West, MD, PhD, provided guidance for the Society's response. Endocrine Society member Monica Laronda, PhD, also provided a statement on Endocrine Society women’s health research priorities at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Stakeholder Meeting.
- Supporting Women’s Research Careers: The Society works with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology to support the biomedical research community. Since 2022, Joanna Spencer-Segal, MD, PhD, has served as the Chair of the Excellence in Science Award Committee, which recognizes women at different career stages whose work has contributed significantly towards our understanding of biological systems and human health.
Learn more about Society advocacy for women's health here.
