Effective Approaches to Global Health Issues – Chapter 8: Women's Health

Women’s health refers to health issues specific to the anatomic makeup of a human female. These often pertain to structures such as the female genitalia and breasts and health-related conditions arising from those structures. The term may also refer to health conditions produced by hormones specific to, or most prominent in, females. Lately, the concept of a gender-based approach toward health has gained importance. The feminist movement has been intimately linked with the health concerns of girls and women at multiple levels. The 1979 adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women by the United Nations fortified the global commitment to women’s health on December 18, 1979. The consequences of STIs in women can be devastating, ranging from infertility and abortion to increasing the chances of acquiring HIV. Violence against women and girls remains a major public health and human rights concern. Pregnancy and childbirth take an enormous toll on women in terms of morbidity and mortality, much of which is avoidable. With all of these increased risks, women's heath is an area of special concern and importance globally.