title: An international imperative for gender-sensitive theories in women's health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To propose gender-sensitive theories as a future direction for theoretical development of women's health. Few theories pertain to women's health and illness experiences, with gender issues embedded in social, cultural, and historical contexts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Significance, definition, and philosophical bases of gender-sensitive theories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six major components should be incorporated in the development of gender-sensitive theories: (a) gender as a major feature, (b) women's own words and experiences, (c) nature of women's experiences, (d) theorists' perspectives, (e) contexts, and (f) guidelines for actions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that the development of gender-sensitive theories in nursing could enable researchers to transcend androcentric and ethnocentric views on women's health, decrease gender inequity in health care, enhance women's well being, and ultimately contribute to knowledge development in nursing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Maintenance, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cunningham Hall, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. eoim@uwm.edu
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Meleis
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019513:Feminism; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009742:Nursing Theory; D010684:Philosophy; D016387:Women's Health