Supporting the White House’s New Women’s Health Research Initiative

ATLANTA, GA (May 15, 2024) — Following his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on March 18, 2024, calling on Congress to make a bold, transformative investment of $12 billion in new funding for women’s health research — an initiative led by First Lady Jill Biden and first announced in November 2023.

We want to thank the Administration for prioritizing women's health research. Recognizing the importance as relevant for people living with arthritis, this is important because:

• 75% of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are women, which is twice as many as men.
• 80% of people with autoimmune diseases are women.
• These diseases often affect women during their childbearing years.
• Nearly 60% of people with osteoarthritis are women.

Historically, women have been underrepresented in medical research and clinical trials, leading to gaps in the understanding of relevant health issues for women. We are excited by the opportunity to further coordinate and amplify our efforts not only to address women's representation in research, including clinical trials, but also to understand the link between autoimmunity and reproductive health. Collectively we are eager to prioritize additional research that bridges gaps, no matter where a woman is in her journey and diagnosis with arthritis.

Read our full letter of support.