title: Minority women and advocacy for women's health.
abstract: US minority health issues involve racial/ethnic disparities that affect both women and men. However, women's health advocacy in the United States does not consistently address problems specific to minority women. The underlying evolution and political strength of the women's health and minority health movements differ profoundly. Women of color comprise only one quarter of women's health movement constituents and are, on average, socioeconomically disadvantaged. Potential alliances may be inhibited by vestiges of historical racial and social divisions that detract from feelings of commonality and mutual support. Nevertheless, insufficient attention to minority women's issues undermines the legitimacy of the women's health movement and may prevent important advances that can be achieved only when diversity is fully considered.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104-6021, USA. skumanyi@cceb.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kumanyika
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Morssink
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nestle
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005610:Freedom; D006292:Health Priorities; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011057:Politics; D044469:Racial Groups; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health; D014933:Women's Rights