Women's Health Issues

Health Maintenance

There is overwhelming evidence that preventive healthcare services, particularly among women, favorably affect health outcomes. However, many women often underuse the preventive services. Screening tests are an important tool for the early detection and treatment of various diseases, yet the use of some screening tests by women is declining. A national survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2004 indicates that screening rates for mammograms, pap smears, and blood pressure have decreased slightly since 2001.

Additionally, reproductive care is a significant part of healthcare for women. One of the goals of the Healthy People 2010 initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to increase the proportion of pregnant women who receive early and adequate prenatal care to 90% of all pregnancies in the nation. While there has been an overall steady improvement, statistics show a slower rate of increase among minority women, particularly in obtaining early prenatal care.

Being overweight or obese increases adverse health risks, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, cancer, and poor reproductive health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 61.5% of all women and 69.6% of men in the nation were overweight or obese in 2003–2004. Furthermore, regular physical activity has been shown to promote health, prevent disease, and facilitate maintenance of a healthy body weight. In 2005, only 50.9% of women reported engaging in at least 10 minutes of moderate leisure-time physical activity per week, and only 32.0% reported at least 10 minutes of vigorous activity, which was significantly less than that reported by men. In contrast, smoking was less common among women 12 years of age or older (22.5%) compared with men of the same age group (27.4%). In addition, women were more likely than men to try to quit smoking (44.8% vs. 40.7%).

Access to Healthcare

Access to quality healthcare services directly affects many aspects of women's health. Numerous studies have found that women who have a usual source of healthcare are more likely to receive preventive care, to have access to care, to receive continuous care, and to have lower rates of hospitalization and lower healthcare costs than those who do not have a usual source of care. Women of all racial and ethnic groups are more likely than men to have a usual source of care. However, access to healthcare is a greater challenge for women who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups with low incomes and who are uninsured. Regardless of family structure, women are more likely than men to live in poverty. Uninsured women consistently fare worse on multiple measures of access to care, including [Page 1188]contact with providers, obtaining timely care, access to specialists, and utilization of screen tests. Many studies have also shown that women who lack economic resources or are from racial or ethnic minorities are more likely to report poor health status and greater chronic health problems and are more likely to confront obstacles to receiving adequate and timely care. Women not only have financial barriers to accessing healthcare but also may experience logistical barriers, such as problems with transportation, childcare, and lack of free time. Among women with family incomes at 300% or more above the federal poverty level (FPL), 73% reported excellent or very good health status compared with 42% of those with family incomes below 100% of the FPL. Women who are Latinas, of low economic status, single, and young are particularly at risk of being uninsured.

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