1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The decision to terminate funding for the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is deeply concerning and will have devastating consequences for women's health research and preventative care. The WHI is an invaluable long-term study involving over 160,000 participants that has provided crucial insights into reducing the risk of heart disease, breast and colon cancer, fractures, and other critical health issues affecting postmenopausal women. Cutting its mere $10 million annual budget is a severe blow to scientific progress and our understanding of aging in women. The WHI has yielded groundbreaking findings on hormone therapy, dietary interventions, and the impact of factors like air pollution on cardiovascular health. Terminating this study will deprive women of comprehensive, longitudinal data on their health as they enter their 80s and beyond. It will also jeopardize numerous ancillary studies and future research dependent on the WHI's extensive data collection. Women deserve equitable investment in medical research and access to evidence-based preventative care strategies. Dismantling the WHI will widen existing gender disparities in health knowledge and treatment. I urge you to take immediate action to restore full funding for this vital initiative and prioritize the well-being of millions of American women. The profound impact of the WHI on our understanding of women's health cannot be overstated, and its continuation is essential for advancing medical science and improving lives.