Women’s Health

Women are often shortchanged, including in our healthcare system.

I am proud to have received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood NYC. As Public Advocate, I will do everything I can to stand up for and protect women’s rights, especially in today’s climate.

When I lost my mom to ovarian cancer, I witnessed the shortfalls, and lack of awareness, in preventative care for women’s health. My mom’s experience showed me that women have a special set of health needs that deserve healthcare solutions tailored to their specific needs. Yet, these needs remain vastly underserved. 

Currently, women’s reproductive health accounts for only 4% of the overall global funding for research and development for healthcare products and services. The majority of spending on diseases has a male-specific research focus, even though 38% of women worldwide suffer from one or more chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death for women, and managing disease is difficult for the uninsured, and women are more likely to lack insurance.

To address the challenges in women’s health, we need to increase awareness, ensure you get your fair share, and expand access to insurance coverage and health care. That is one of the main reasons I advocate for single payer healthcare – so that all women have health insurance. Preventative care is key and primary care service has shown to reduce disease and illness. We must increase your access to primary care service – and in today’s world, we can do that from our phones.

In the digital world, we need healthcare to come to you. Women are multidimensional, often managing work and home simultaneously, and too often look out for others over themselves. We should be investing in, and leveraging Femtech (Female technology) that are helping address a full range of health needs, such as fertility solutions, period-tracking apps, pregnancy and nursing care, women’s sexual wellness and reproductive health.

Women represent the fabric of our society – what is more important than ensuring that women live better, healthier lives? Here are other ways I advocate for women’s health:

• Make Single Payer Healthcare a priority

• Improving access to cancer screening and education

•  Investing innovative ways to address mental health

•  Addressing and insuring gender pay equity

•  Sex education in schools

•  Investing in and expanding after school programs

• Making birth control access over-the-counter

• Advocating for breast feeding rooms in workplaces

• Strengthening domestic violence resources 

• Expanding access to locally grown, healthy foods in all neighborhoods.