Women's Health
Description
Certain health conditions and diseases including menopause, pregnancy, ovarian, cervical cancer, breast cancer; certain autoimmune diseases, endometriosis, and osteoporosis occur only in women. A number of these may be environmentally mediated. Data from a recent study on urban air pollution suggest that women have a greater risk of developing fatal coronary heart disease as a result of long-term exposure to airborne particles than their male counterparts. Research conducted by NIEHS-supported scientists shows that nighttime exposure to artificial light stimulates the growth of human breast tumors, a finding that may explain why female night shift workers have higher rates of breast cancer than the general population. In 1994, NIEHS researchers isolated a tumor-suppressor gene, BRCA1, which is known to play a critical role in the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Still other health conditions may affect women differently or in disproportionate rates than men.
Health Studies & Clinical Trials
What NIEHS is Doing on Women's Health
- NIEHS researcher assists in study of Norwegian women (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2013/2/science-norwegian/index.htm)
- NTP panel reviews outcomes of women treated for cancer while pregnant (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/11/science-ntp/index.htm)
- Exploratory study first to quantify TCE in breast milk (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/10/science-tce/index.htm)
- Fenton Examines Effects of Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/9/science-fenton/index.htm)
- Possible Mechanism Between Maternal Smoking and Childhood Illness Found (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/9/science-mechanism/index.htm)
- Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
- Bisphenol A (BPA) (455KB)
- Environmental Factors and Breast Cancer Risk (1MB)
- Hormones and Cancer Highlights NIEHS/NTP Paper (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/4/science-hormonesandcancer/index.htm)
- The Sister Study
- A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change (Full Report) (4MB)
- Programs and Initiatives: Climate Change and Human Health
- Researchers Call for Changes in Policy and Reproductive Healthcare (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/4/spotlight-reproductivehealth/index.htm)
- The Importance of Calcium Entry in Mammalian Reproduction (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/4/science-calcium/index.htm)
- Women’s health takes the spotlight (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2012/2/science-womenshealth/index.htm)
General Information
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid: Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative
- Cervical Cancer
- Environmental Health Perspectives, Environews by Topic: Women's Health (http://ehponline.org/article/browsenews.action?catName=Women%27s+Health)
- Healthy Women
- HHS Prenatal Care Fact Sheet
- Lactmed
- Linking Early Environmental Exposures to Adult Diseases (1014KB)
- National Women's Health Information Center
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Apoptosis
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: BRCA1/BRCA2
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Cancer
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Carcinogen
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Carrier
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Genetic Testing
- Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms: Oncogene
- The Interagency Working Group on Climate Change and Health (1MB)
- Uterine Fibroids
For Educators
- EHP Student Edition Lesson: Beauty or the Beast? (154KB)
- EHP Student Edition Lesson: Death by Particles (169KB)
- EHP Student Edition Lesson: Impaired Fecundity: Examining Data for Trends (180KB)
- EHP Student Edition Lesson: Lead and Mercury: Comparing Two Environmental Evils (311KB)
- EHP Student Edition Lesson: Mother's Milk - Unleaded Please (177KB)
- EHP Student Edition Lesson: Soy: Filling in the Gaps (146KB)
