Dear Friends,

Tomorrow the U.S. Senate will vote on legislation that will direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that companies provide evidence about the safety and effectiveness of drugs and devices used by women.

You’ve heard from us before about the need to include women in research on medical products because many drugs and devices affect women and men differently. But because women are less likely than men to be included in clinical trials, we often don’t discover if a drug or device is unsafe or less effective for women until after it is on the market. Women deserve complete and accurate information about the medical products available to them – particularly the specific benefits a drug or device might offer and risks it might pose to them based on their sex!

The National Women’s Health Network has long advocated for women to be included in clinical research so that women and their providers would have reliable information about how the medical products they used would impact their health. I’m writing today to tell you that we have a chance to improve women’s health by strengthening the FDA’s ability to demand that companies include women in clinical research!

You know the FDA does critically important work to make sure that the drugs and devices women use are safe and that they work – but the FDA can only do this if pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers collect evidence on how products work for women. You also know that we at the National Women’s Health Network sometimes push the FDA to do more… and this is one of those times! Help us help the FDA get better evidence for women!

Take action and contact your Senator right away and urge them to improve women’s health by supporting the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, which will ensure women get better information about the safety and effectiveness of drugs and devices.

Thank you,


Cindy Pearson
Executive Director

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