President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order aimed at enhancing the study and funding of women’s health, marking a historic focus on biomedical research and data collection amid efforts to appeal to female voters.
President Joe Biden is set to enact an executive order aimed at enhancing the study of women’s health, specifically focusing on improving data collection and funding for biomedical research. This decision arises amidst historical underrepresentation of women in medical studies, with federal mandates for their inclusion only instituted in the 1990s. Dr. Carolyn Mazure highlighted the necessity for improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for conditions affecting women. The executive action, considered politically significant during an election year, aligns with efforts by First Lady Jill Biden to bolster women’s health research and appeal to female voters, especially in light of recent legal challenges to abortion rights in the U.S.
The order coincides with the National Institutes of Health initiating a concentrated effort on menopause research, addressing a noticeable gap in this area. Announced during a Women’s History Month reception at the White House, this initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to advancing women’s health, emphasizing research disparities between genders.
Furthermore, President Biden has pledged a $12 billion investment specifically for women’s health research, marking a historic push toward better understanding of menopause and women’s mid-life health. Highlighted by former first lady of California, Maria Shriver, the significance of this investment lies in its focus on menopause and addressing healthcare disparities among women of color in the U.S. The comprehensive initiative also extends to research on mental health, substance use disorders, environmental health factors, and autoimmune diseases that predominantly affect women.
In a related development, multiple members of the Kennedy family have publicly opposed Robert F Kennedy Jr’s independent presidential bid, aligning instead with President Biden. During a St Patrick’s Day celebration at the White House, Kennedy family members showed their support for Biden, amidst criticisms of RFK Jr for promoting conspiracy theories and being labeled “dangerous” by his relatives. This familial schism was emphasized by Kerry Kennedy’s commendation of Biden and Jack Schlossberg’s critique of his cousin RFK Jr. Polls indicate RFK Jr’s unusual appeal among Republicans, though his campaign has been dismissed by Biden’s allies as “unserious.”
