The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations approval of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer heads a list of the top five womens health stories of 2006, as selected by the Society for Womens Health Research, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization.


The publics attitude toward womens health has evolved greatly since the Society was founded in 1990, says Phyllis Greenberger, the societys president and CEO. When we began, the general consensus was that the only differences between women and men were in the reproductive system. The research now being conducted and the stories being reported verify that sex differences span the entire health spectrum.


The FDA in June approved a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer. The vaccine is the first cancer vaccine ever approved, and it protects against the strands of HPV that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. An estimated 10,000 women in the U.S. develop cervical cancer each year and nearly 4,000 die from it annually. The vaccine has the potential to reduce those numbers dramatically, and it will make an even larger impact in developing countries, where cervical cancer is the second largest cancer killer of women, the advocacy group says. Additional cervical cancer vaccines are in development.


Following are the rest of the top five womens health stories of 2006, as judged by the societys scientific programs staff:


An emergency contraceptive gained over-the-counter approval. After a three-year delay, the FDA decided in August to give women 18 and older access to Plan B emergency contraception without a prescription. If taken within 72 hours of intercourse, Plan B can prevent pregnancy.


Evidence mounted about the dangers of smoking. Additional research showed that cigarette smoke harms health well beyond the respiratory system, especially in women. Studies released in 2006 noted the connection between smoking in women and, for example, bladder cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and in-vitro fertilization success. One study also reported that women are less aware of their increased risk of developing lung cancer as a result of smoking, compared with men, signaling the need for public education.


As part of the growing trend toward medical treatments and devices tailored to an individual patients needs, 2006 saw the introduction of a knee replacement designed for women. Previously, women facing knee-replacement surgery were limited to devices designed for men. A new device now is available to replicate better the way a womans knee bones are shaped and the way her joints move, both of which are different from men. This will provide greater options to women.


Research shed more light on health disparities. Thanks to improved research practices that include and analyze diverse patient populations, 2006 produced further documentation that women, minorities, and older Americans often cant be treated the same in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.


From heart disease to cancer, studies repeatedly revealed that race, sex, gender, age, cultural barriers, and socioeconomic factors are primary reasons why some groups experience poorer outcomes in major health areas. Such research underscores the need for more work to develop tools for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment that are responsive to an individuals unique status, the group says.