Congresswomen Kristi Noem (R-SD), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), and Susan Brooks (R-IN) along with 78 other female members of the House today introduced a bipartisan resolution to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health.  Noem and Matsui serve as Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Women’s Caucus. Frankel and Brooks serve as the Caucus’ Vice Co-Chairs. 

“Introducing gender-specific medical research may be one of the most meaningful advancements we’ve made in women’s health in my lifetime,” said Noem. “As a result of the research, we’ve taken tremendous steps toward finding a cure for breast and cervical cancers, we’ve learned more about how medications work in women, and we’ve saved women’s lives.  I am pleased to join my female colleagues on both sides of the aisle in celebrating this important anniversary.”

“Today, disparities between males and females in clinical research is becoming a thing of the past, thanks in large part to the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health,” said Matsui.  “Women must be included in scientific studies in order to advance cures and treatments for diseases that impact women or impact them differently. Our population is aging and women are living longer, which means a higher likelihood of diseases linked to aging such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and chronic conditions.  Including women in research within these areas is critical.  We are celebrating this anniversary today to both recognize the important achievements we’ve made these past 25 years and to reflect on the work that still needs to be done.”

“So many lives have been saved in the 25 years since this office was established, including the women who are spared the diagnosis of breast cancer, the children of HIV-positive mothers who are born healthy, and the mothers and daughters who are protected from HPV and cervical cancer,” Frankel said. “This anniversary is a celebration of life, and we look forward to many more decades of groundbreaking, lifesaving research.”

“Twenty-five years ago, clinical trials and research were often conducted without female participants. Now, not only are women present in clinical trials, but gender-specific research is regularly conducted to learn more about the full spectrum of women’s health,” Brooks said. “I am very pleased to join female colleagues in celebrating this important milestone.”

The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) has made significant progress in developing and implementing policies to ensure the inclusion of women in NIH clinical research. The Office’s research efforts benefit all individuals with diseases and disorders studied by researchers, including men, women, older and younger adults, children and minority populations. ORWH-supported research has dramatically increased understanding of the importance of gender-specific research and has spurred policy change and programs focused on the health of girls, women and their families.

Today, more than half of participants in NIH-funded clinical trials are women. The ORWH now works in partnership with NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers to ensure that women’s health research continues to be a part of the scientific framework at NIH and throughout the scientific community.

The language, which was introduced by Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME), passed in the Senate earlier this year.

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