Women's health

A woman's health reflects both her individual biology and her sociocultural, economic, and physical environments. These factors affect both the duration and the quality of her life. For example, the average life expectancy for a woman varies considerably according to her race. In 1997, the average life expectancy for white women was 5 years longer than that of African American women (80 years versus 75 years). Women who live in poverty or have less than a high school education have shorter life spans; higher rates of illness, injury, disability, and death; and more limited access to high-quality health care services. Historically, women have also been the primary health care providers and health decision-makers for their families. Nearly two-thirds of women polled in a recent national survey indicated that they alone were responsible for health care decisions within their family, and 83 percent had sole or shared responsibility for financial decisions regarding their family's health. Women are also the primary care givers for ill or disabled family members. Of the estimated 15 percent of Americans who are informal care givers, an estimated 72 percent are women-many of them sandwiched between caring for an ailing relative and caring for their own children.