Women's Health USA 2002 Page 8

INTRODUCTION

are HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. As of December 2000, a total of 130,104 cases of AIDS had been reported in adolescent and adult women in the U.S. This disease is most prevalent among women aged 25-44 years and among Black women. A national survey on violence in 1995-96 found that more than half of women reported being physically assaulted in their lifetime. American Indian and Alaska Native women were more likely to report being raped, physically assaulted, or stalked than women of other races and ethnicities.

As the number of older Americans grows, attention is also focused on the care of senior citizens. The rate of women aged 65 and older in nursing homes fell between 1973-74 and 1999, indicating that more women are living in the community, either independently or with relatives, in their older years. Women continue to make up the majority of nursing home residents.

As a result of these conditions and the utilization of the health care system, women have significant expenditures for health care. While most health care expense is paid by insurance, women bear about 20 percent of the costs out of pocket. The largest category of health care expenses for women in 1997 was inpatient services, followed by home health care costs.

Men and women alike will continue to benefit from advances in medical research and treatment. Perhaps the most important message that we have gained from these advances is that our health and quality of life are shaped by both our own health behaviors and our geographic and economic access to necessary preventive, primary, and acute care. Women's Health USA will provide a mechanism for tracking our efforts to help shape a healthy future for all Americans.

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