CDC Women’s Health Year in Review: 2014

CDC's Contributions to Women's Health and Safety

CDC’s contributions to women’s health focused on better understanding, improving, and promoting the health, safety, and quality of life of women of all ages. CDC published research, conducted disease surveillance, released recommendations and guidelines, launched several campaigns, developed tools and resources, worked with partners, and continued programs across the country. Here are a few of the contributions CDC made to women's health in 2014:

Cancer

Know:BRCA
Know:BRCA assesses a young woman's risk of having a BRCA gene mutation based on her family cancer history.
"The Burning Truth" Initiative Launched
This initiative encourages young people to keep their skin healthy and beautiful for life by protecting themselves from too much exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and tanning beds.
Vital Signs: Cervical Cancer Incidence, Mortality, and Screening - United States, 2007-2012
In 2012, the percentage of women who had not been screened for cervical cancer in the past 5 years was estimated to be 11.4%.The proportion of inadequately screened women is higher among older women, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives.

Disparities

Community-Based Program to Prevent HIV/STD Infection Among Heterosexual Black Women
This report describes successful efforts by SisterLove, Inc., to develop, rigorously evaluate, and demonstrate the efficacy of Healthy Love, an educational workshop, to reduce HIV- and sexually transmitted disease-related risk behaviors among heterosexual black women.
Racial Disparities in Access to Maternity Care Practices That Support Breastfeeding - United States, 2011
Women living in zip code areas with a higher percentage of blacks might have less access to facilities implementing recommended maternity care practices, which might contribute to lower breastfeeding rates among blacks compared with other racial groups.

HIV/AIDS

Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Women[2.14 MB]
This eight-page fact sheet for health professionals and researchers discusses the links between the two issues, study findings, and addresses what's being done.
We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time
This new national HIV and AIDS awareness campaign is a call to action for the general Hispanic/Latino community to talk about HIV and AIDS, increase HIV and AIDS awareness, and decrease HIV-associated stigma and shame.

Reproductive Health

A National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention, and Management of Infertility
This plan highlights the need to better understand and address issues at a population level that contribute to and are caused by infertility in women and men and that may affect the health of the pregnancy.
ATSDR Study Suggests Women's Exposures to Contaminated Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune Might Be Associated with Adverse Birth Outcomes
Women who were pregnant and were exposed to the contaminated drinking water between 1968 and 1985 were more likely to have increased risk of pre-term birth or children with forms of fetal growth retardation.
Guidance for Screening and Caring for Pregnant Women with Ebola Virus Disease for Healthcare Providers in U.S. Hospitals
Guidance on how to screen pregnant women for Ebola virus disease (Ebola) and how to care for pregnant women with known or suspected Ebola, including considerations for pregnant healthcare workers.
Infertility Service Use in the United States: Data From the National Survey of Family Growth, 1982–2010[317 KB]
Twelve percent of women aged 15–44 in 2006–2010 (7.3 million women), or their husbands or partners, had ever used infertility services.
Providing Quality Family Planning Services: Recommendations of CDC and the U.S. Office of Population Affairs
This report provides recommendations on how to provide family planning services. Such services include contraceptive services, pregnancy testing and counseling, helping clients achieve pregnancy, basic infertility services, preconception health services, and sexually transmitted disease services.

Tobacco

50th Anniversary of the First Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health
The report provides a retrospective of the past 50 years of tobacco use prevention and control efforts, and includes newly documented health consequences of smoking in women and exposure to secondhand smoke.

Violence

Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Women[2.14 MB]
This eight-page fact sheet for health professionals and researchers discusses the links between the two issues, study findings, and addresses what's being done.
Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: Victimization by Sexual Orientation
Findings discuss IPV victimization, frequency, severity, patterns, need for services, and impacts.
Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization - National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011
This report describes the overall prevalence of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization; racial/ethnic variation in prevalence; how types of perpetrators vary by violence type; and the age at which victimization typically begins.