FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2018
Media Contact Susan Awad
P: 813-732-6820
Leading national women’s health and sexual health organizations and experts announced today the launch of the Alliance for Advancing Women’s Health (AAWH), a new collaborative initiative to advance women’s sexual healthcare by improving the interaction between clinicians and patients about sexual health.
Through AAWH, made possible with support from AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., member organizations will work together to empower women with information to seek better sexual healthcare. AAWH will also work to increase healthcare providers’ understanding of women’s sexual health needs to better address their patients’ sexual health concerns.
“Women’s sexual health is critically important to a woman’s overall health, and it can help to improve social and emotional wellness.i But too often, women’s sexual health concerns go unaddressed,” said AAWH Co-Chair Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League. “As women’s health experts and advocates, we know that cultural discomfort with the topic of sexual health, as well as limited clinician time and training, contribute to a lack of dialogue and through this alliance we will seek to change that.”
A survey of U.S. women found that about seven in 10 had experienced a sexual health issue.ii Despite the reported prevalence of sexual health concerns, a culture of discomfort around women’s sexual health often inhibits open conversation about women’s sexual health even in a healthcare professional’s office. Surveys of patients and healthcare professionals found that most women (73%) preferred their clinician to broach the topic of sexual health, while most clinicians (74%) relied on their patients to initiate the conversation.iii AAWH members will volunteer their time and expertise to help bridge this gap and improve women’s sexual health outcomes.
“For too long, women and their clinicians have not had open conversations about sexual health concerns, to the detriment of women’s physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing,” said AAWH Co-Chair Sheryl Kingsberg, PhD, President, North American Menopause Society and Division Chief of Behavioral Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “AAWH will work with clinicians and women across the country to foster an open dialogue and to advance sexual health care for women everywhere.”
Learn more about AAWH at http://advancingwomenshealth.org/.
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About the Alliance for Advancing Women’s Health (AAWH) The Alliance for Advancing Women’s Health (AAWH) seeks to advance women’s sexual healthcare by instituting change that promotes a culture of openness and improves outcomes for women’s sexual health. AAWH collaborates on initiatives that work to engage women to advocate for their sexual health and improve clinical interaction – or discussion between the patient and their clinician – by elevating awareness and advancing healthcare professional education and training. AAWH membership includes leading women’s health and sexual health professional and patient organizations who are volunteering their time and expertise to help advance women’s sexual health. The Alliance for Advancing Women’s Health is made possible with support from AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
i https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/3413/9611/7801/Benefits_Sex_07_07.pdf
ii https://www.arhp.org/images/uploadDocs/S&HYFactSheet.pdf?type=file
iii http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/healthcare-providers/sexual-health/