Women's Health Research is Underfunded. Is Celebrity Endorsement What We Need?

When I saw that Mandy Moore and Lupita Nyong'o are using their famous voices and faces to advocate for more funding for women's health initiatives, I was initially thrilled...and then, I found myself wondering: why does it always have to go like this? Why are even these incredible women struggling to be listened to? And why does it take celebrity involvement for the world to pay attention to women’s health issues?

Both Moore and Nyong'o opened up about their own experiences with women's health conditions. In Nyong'o's case, she spoke about her history with uterine fibroids. Moore opened up about fertility challenges. 

And Nyong'o dropped a bomb: "So far, it's been only 8 percent of the [National Institutes of Health research] budget, and that is just way too little considering we are 50 percent of the population." 

We’ve been screaming about how little information the medical community has to offer about their bodies. We've been seeking answers on our own, only to be dismissed and told we don't know "what we're talking about" or that it's all in our heads. We've shared our stories, started our causes, built our platforms...only to see two high-profile stars with all the influence struggle to break through. 

I applaud these women for joining the cause, and for how personal they’re getting with their own stories. But I wish for once, we didn’t have to rely on women’s labor to bring these issues to the forefront. Because we’re the victims of this issue. Why do we have to be its saviors too?

Ask Clara: What are cuts to women's health funding?