The Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance, sponsored by the Institute for Women's Health Research presents:

"Women's Health -- Does Sex Matter?"

Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 5:00-6:00 pm

A reception will be held 30 minutes prior and following the discussion

Prentice Women’s Hospital, Harris Family Foundation Atrium - Third Floor

250 E. Superior Street Chicago, Illinois

Please join WLMA in welcoming Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD - Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Founder and Director of the Institute for Women’s Health Research.  Dr. Woodruff will discuss women’s health and the sex and gender dynamic that affects women and our relationship with medicine.

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Photo: Huge Galdones

Current knowledge about the interaction between sex and gender on health and disease is imperfect and only now evolving.  We now know that a person’s biological sex plays a predominant role in the cause, origin, beginning and subsequent progression of disease. In addition, gender, or one’s behavioral, cultural or psychological traits, influences risk profiles, symptom recognition, disease severity, and access to health education and quality care. We must ensure that sex and gender are studied at the most basic cellular and molecular level so that when studies are translated into clinical human studies, we already know the potential for different responses in men and women.  For example, unforeseen side effects can result when we introduce new drugs and treatments to humans without adequately studying them in both male and female animal models. Dr. Woodruff will share specific examples of why sex matters and we will learn what this means to us as patients, mothers, daughters, wives and caregivers.  We will have the opportunity to learn firsthand what is being done in the world of medical research to improve the lives of women.

Please join us and our esteemed speaker in this riveting discussion on women’s health. This event is free and open to the public.

Complimentary parking will be provided at the Huron/St. Clair garage, located at  222 East Huron Street.

Please RSVP for this program by Friday, October 23, 2009, by sending an email to womensleadership@mwe.com

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Comments

There is no doubt in my mind that our female ability to stay positive and handle stress is the single greatest factor in our stronger immune systems and greater longevity... I'm glad the researchers are beginning to see that it isn't just the biological differences which make us the fairer gender, it is more so the effects those differences have on our day to day lives and attitudes...

I enjoyed reading your posts.You shared information that is valuable to me and some other readers. Keep posting as I will be visiting this page from now on. Cheers.

We know that women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men and that women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. I think sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have to be better researched and documented. It is important to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. There are a lot of aspects to it: from behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms. This will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested readers.

It seems strange that we are only now beginning to take a good look at something that plays such a big role. Even the mental aspects of how we deal with health plays an important role, and is different between the sexes. Since men are more logical, does this change the way they deal with illness, are they more able to stay positive rather than get overwhelmed?

@Positively Elly said.."There is no doubt in my mind that our female ability to stay positive and handle stress is the single greatest factor in our stronger immune systems and greater longevity…" I also think that single females will generally take better care of themselves than single males which helps their longevity.