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WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Yvette Clark (D- N.Y.), sent a letter to First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden urging the Biden Administration to prioritize menopause research in its newly established and historic White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. The initiative will bring focus to the need for increased research on important issues that are traditionally underfunded and impact women’s health across their lifespans – from cancer to menopause.

In December of 2023, Blunt Rochester, along with Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), introduced the bipartisan We’re Addressing the Realities of Menopause (WARM) Act, H.R. 6743. The bill would create a national menopause public awareness campaign and fund research and education initiatives to develop evidence-based practices. Blunt Rochester introduced the WARM after she hosted a conversation with the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, and award-winning actor and activist Halle Berry about the need for enhanced menopause awareness and research.

“We write to applaud the establishment of the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. This initiative exemplifies the Biden Administration’s commitment to addressing the health inequities faced by women in this country and is a historic step forward in accelerating research on the health needs of women across their lifespans,” the members wrote. “Women face several unique health conditions but few conditions impact as many women as menopause. Therefore, as you craft your recommendations, we encourage you to recognize and address the knowledge gaps regarding the menopausal transition that is experienced by both women and health care professionals. Doing so would raise public awareness of menopause, further enhance our understanding of associated body changes, and stimulate public and private research investments.”

“Menopause is another condition in which improvements in its research and treatment would yield tremendous quality of life and economic benefits to both women and men in this country. While menopause is a naturally occurring phase of life that all women will experience if they live long enough, many women enter this transition with little or no guidance,” the members continued. “Furthermore, only 31.3% of OBGYN residency programs have a menopause curriculum as part of their residency training program, leaving women, health care providers, and researchers without the educational resources they need. Although hot flashes are among the most visible and recognizable symptoms of menopause, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, mental health disorders, and disordered sleep are other common and debilitating symptoms. These treatable conditions affect daily functioning and costs $1.8 billion dollars annually in lost work productivity. Given the significance and scope, it is past time to advance policies that improve menopause research and awareness.”

“The launch of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research will be instrumental in changing the landscape of women’s healthcare for the better. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the intersection of this initiative and menopause further, and we stand ready to assist in any efforts to assure menopause is prioritized. Women are valuable members of our society, and more must be done to address the conditions that primarily impact them,” the members concluded.

The text of the letter can be found here.

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