Congresswoman Scholten Leads Effort to Improve Hormonal Health Research and Testing

WASHINGTON, DC – In recognition of Women’s Health Month, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03), Vice Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, introduced the Hormone Health Data and Research Act. The bill would direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to conduct research and testing into the utility of routine baseline hormonal testing of premenopausal women.  

“Women make up 51% of the population, and yet only 5% of global health research funding is designated for women’s health. It’s beyond time we begin to study and understand women’s baseline hormone structures, as well as their changes over time and how that impacts their health,” said Congresswoman Scholten. “I’m proud to introduce this bill to give hormone testing the national attention and resources it deserves, which will help improve how millions of women can predict and manage their health.” 

About two million American women enter perimenopause every year, which is the natural transition period leading up to menopause and usually begins in a woman's 40s. The Hormone Health Data and Research Act would specifically direct the NIH and USPSTF to study the variability of a woman's hormone levels before she experiences symptoms of perimenopause, as well as any baseline patterns in that variability. These studies will help determine the utility of baseline hormonal testing for improving the diagnosis and management of perimenopause. NIH and USPSTF would also be required to submit a report to Congress on their findings and recommendations for future research. 

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