WOMEN'S HEALTH OFFICE OFFICIAL STRESSES WOMEN'S HEALTH NEEDS

If women's health issues take a forefront in research, treatment and prevention, the result will be a healthier nation, said Dr. Agnes Donahue.

The goal of health services is to treat men, women and children, but Donahue said women's health issues should be a top priority.

"Women are the backbone of the family; they are the caretakers. And often they are the ones who arrange or take care of health care for the whole family," she said.

"Women's health is central to a healthy nation," she said. "Until we put that concept up front, we won't be able to have the quality of life we desire with regard to health."

Donahue was recently appointed director of the newly established Office of Women's Health within the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

She spoke at St. Francis Medical Center's Foundation banquet Tuesday. During the day, she toured the medical center's Womancare Center and met with medical officials.

One responsibility of the Office on Women's Health is oversight of a Public Health Service Action Plan for Women's Health.

The plan includes 38 specific goals ranging from prevention of substance abuse and HIV infection to breast cancer and heart disease.

The plan calls for different health-care related agencies to work toward the goals in their specific areas of expertise.

For example, one issue included in the plan is heart disease among women. Donahue explained that among people under age 65 men are more likely to have heart disease. But after age 65 the likelihood of developing a heart problem is about equal for men and women.

"Women may not know they are at risk and may not do the things they should be doing to prevent heart disease," Donahue said.

Breast cancer is a central issue, she said. "We are seeing an increase in the number of women diagnosed, and one in eight women will develop the disease in their lifetime," Donahue said.

"But we are also seeing an increase in lung cancer in women, especially linked to smoking."

She said teenage women are more likely to smoke than teenage men.

"We are looking at why our smoking cessation message is not as effective with women, especially young women," she said.

In addition to speaking to the group and spreading information about the department's plan, Donahue said she was interested in learning about the medical issues and needs in the community. She often takes trips throughout the country to see health care in action.

"If you are isolated in Washington, D.C., you can get a real distorted idea of where people are and what they need," Donahue said. "It's extremely important to get out to places where people live their lives and see the lives they live."

She complimented the Womancare program at St. Francis. "It's a very impressive program. They are doing things here many other settings are still struggling to achieve."

Donahue said she was impressed with the emphasis on needs of middle-age and older women like mammograms and osteoporosis.

"We are an aging society," she said. "There is a need for information. Women have questions about what to expect as menopause approaches and after menopause."