[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 20, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6713-S6714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself and Mrs. Clinton):
  S. 1087. A bill to provide for uterine fibroid research and 
education, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Uterine Fibroid 
Research and Education Act. This bill expands and coordinates research 
on uterine fibroids at the National Institutes of Health, NIH, and 
creates an education campaign to make sure women and their doctors have 
the facts they need about this painful, chronic condition. I want to 
thank Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones for introducing this 
legislation in the House of Representatives and Senator Clinton for 
joining me as an original cosponsor.
  Uterine fibroids are a major health issue for American women. Three 
quarters of all reproductive age women, and an even greater number of 
African American women, have uterine fibroids. Although many women with 
fibroids have few or no symptoms, it is estimated that a quarter of all 
women in their thirties and forties seek medical care for the abnormal 
or heavy bleeding, pain, infertility, or miscarriage that uterine 
fibroids cause.
  Despite their prevalence, little is known about uterine fibroids, and 
few good treatment options are available to women who suffer from them. 
Right now, hysterectomy--the surgical removal of the uterus--is the 
most common treatment for uterine fibroids. More than 200,000 women 
undergo a hysterectomy each year to treat their uterine fibroids, which 
requires a six week recovery, has a 20 to 40 percent risk of 
complications, and means a women can no longer bear children. Less 
invasive treatment options, like drug regimes or fibroid embolyzation, 
are promising, but many have not undergone the rigorous testing that 
women expect. In fact, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 
at the Department of Health and Human Services found ``a remarkable 
lack of high quality evidence supporting the effectiveness of most 
interventions for symptomatic fibroids.''
  Women deserve better. That's why I am introducing the uterine Fibroid 
Research and Education Act--to find new and better ways to treat or 
even cure uterine fibroids.
  This bill does three things. First, it expands research at the 
National Institutes of Health, NIH, by doubling funding for uterine 
fibroids every year for the next five years. Despite a budget of

[[Page S6714]]

over $27 billion, NIH spent just $5 million on uterine fibroids 
research in 2002. This legislation authorizes $50 million over five 
years to provide the investment needed to jumpstart basic research and 
lay the groundwork to find a cure.

  This additional funding will help researchers find out why so many 
women get uterine fibroids, why African American women are 
disproportionately affected, what tests women can take to prevent 
uterine fibroids, and what are the best ways to treat them.
  Second, this legislation coordinates research on uterine fibroids 
through the Office of Research on Women's Health, ORWH. More than a 
decade ago, I fought to create this Office at NIH to give women a seat 
at the table when decisions were made about funding priorities. This 
bill directs this Office to lead the Federal Government's research 
effort on uterine fibroids. A coordinated research effort is needed to 
make the best use of limited resources and to give women a one-stop 
shop to find out what the Federal Government is doing to combat uterine 
fibroids.
  Finally, this bill creates education campaigns for patients and 
health care providers. According to a 1999 survey conducted by the 
Society for Women's Health Research, as many as one-third of women who 
have hysterectomies do so without discussing potential alternatives 
with their doctors. This bill will make sure women can count on their 
doctors for information about the best possible treatment for uterine 
fibroids. It will also give women the facts they need to make good 
health care decisions and take control of their health.
  Since my first days in Congress, I have been fighting to make sure 
women don't get left out or left behind when it comes to their health. 
From women's inclusion in clinical trials to quality standards for 
mammograms, I have led the way to make sure women's health needs are 
treated fairly and taken seriously. This legislation builds on these 
past successes to address this silent epidemic among American women.
  The Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act is supported by the 
National Uterine Fibroid Foundation, the American College of 
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Medical Association, the 
American Nurses Association, the Feminist Majority Foundation, the 
Center for Uterine Fibroids at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the 
National Urban League,, Delta Sigma Theta, and the Society for Women's 
Health Research. I look forward to working with these advocates and my 
colleagues to get this bill signed into law.
                                 ______