In the past, most health research assumed that men's bodies and health concerns, and women's bodies and health concerns, were the same. Medications used to be tested only on men (even the early birth control pills!)

But let's face it - men and women are built differently, and they have different health-care needs. More and more, as scientists are questioning whether men's health and women's health differ, they are finding that sex differences (genetic or hormonal distinctions) affect far more than just reproductive organs and their functions.

It is well known that many conditions - such as osteoporosis, auto-immune diseases and eating disorders - are more common in women. But it is even more complex than that: a woman's physical and mental health is also affected by many other variables, such as her role in the family, her cultural background and her socio-economic status.

We have long recognized the need for greater focus on women's health and wellness. We also understand that a woman's mental and physical health is affected by her life experiences and by her personal, social, political and economic environment. Since 1996, our annual Women’s Health Matters Forum & Expo program strives to reflect this awareness.

We view a woman as a whole person, and not merely the sum of her body parts. We acknowledge that sometimes the medical community still does not fully recognize the role gender plays in women's experience of health challenges.

And we are working to change that.