Message from the Director

OWH has remained at the forefront of issues through collaboration, research and surveillance. We are continuing to build on lessons learned from OWH-funded research projects and have developed new tools to help women and their families. I encourage you to share the resources, safety alerts and announcements in this update with your networks, friends and family.

Marsha Henderson, Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health

WOMEN'S HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS

New Women’s Health Toolkits: Help Spread the Word

OWH has released several partner toolkits that can be used to help connect diverse women with FDA’s resources. Each kit includes sample social media messages, blog posts and other outreach tools. Use our new toolkits to encourage the women in your community to take time for their health.

Hispanic Women's Health Toolkit

Diverse Women in Clinical Trials Toolkit

College Women’s Toolkit

New Article on Women and Zolpidem (Ambien)

A new article in Frontiers in Pharmacology highlights OWH-supported research at the National Institutes of Health to further knowledge about how sleep medicines affect women. The research explores whether sex differences in zolpidem pharmacokinetics are influenced by known sex-related variability in the expression of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases in rats

Read the article

Learn more about OWH-supported research

Download and Share a Fact Sheet on Sleep Medicines

New FDA Birth Control Chart

OWH has released an updated version of our Birth Control Chart. The easy-to-read chart provides information on the safety and effectiveness of FDA-approved medicines and devices for birth control. The chart also provides information on emergency contraception.

Download the FDA Birth Control Chart in English or Spanish

Safety Alert on Screening Tests for Ovarian Cancer

Despite extensive research and published studies, there are currently no screening tests for ovarian cancer that are sensitive enough to reliably screen for ovarian cancer without a high number of inaccurate results. However, over the years, numerous companies have marketed tests that claim to screen for and detect ovarian cancer.

The FDA is alerting women about the risks associated with the use of tests being marketed as ovarian cancer screening tests. The Agency is especially concerned about delaying effective preventive treatments for women who show no symptoms, but who are still at increased risk for developing ovarian cancer. Based on currently available information, the FDA recommends against using currently offered tests to screen for ovarian cancer.

Read the safety communication

Fraudulent Zika Products

Beware of fraudulent products claiming to prevent or treat Zika. There are no FDA-approved treatments for Zika virus. There are no FDA-approved vaccines for Zika virus. Several investigational vaccines are under development, including those in early human clinical trials. FDA is monitoring for fraudulent products and false product claims related to Zika virus. Consumers are encouraged to report the sale of illegal products marketed to prevent, treat or cure the Zika virus.

Report false claims about Zika products to FDA