Essential Women’s Health Resources: Where to Find Evidence-Based Information

Please note: In this article, the term ‘women’ is used inclusively to encompass all individuals who menstruate or have menstruated, regardless of gender identity.

Let’s be clear: Access to real, evidence-based health information shouldn’t be controversial—but here we are.

In a political climate where women’s bodies are constantly under fire, the quiet erasure of more than 8,000 pages from federal health websites isn’t just suspicious—it’s dangerous.

These aren’t just random webpages; they’re vital resources on everything from contraception and maternal mortality to LGBTQ+ youth health and clinical trial diversity. The kind of information that saves lives, supports providers, and empowers people to make informed choices about their bodies.

And now? It’s gone—scrubbed from sites like the NIH, CDC, and FDA with little explanation and zero accountability. If that sounds like a war on women, well… you’re not wrong.

When politics starts dictating what health information we’re allowed to access, it’s up to us to fight back. That means getting louder, getting smarter, and turning to independent, science-backed women’s health resources that put public health before political agendas. Because no one—not a politician, not a bureaucrat—gets to decide what we do or don’t deserve to know about our own damn bodies.

Why Government-Supplied Health Info is Disappearing

For decades, federal health agencies like the NIH, CDC, and FDA were go-to sources for trustworthy medical information. But in recent months, something alarming has happened behind the scenes: thousands of pages of women’s health content have quietly vanished.

This isn’t a coincidence—it’s a calculated shift.

Here’s what’s been removed, why it matters, and who’s being harmed the most.

What’s Been Removed and Why It Matters

Access to comprehensive, research-based health and wellness information is essential to the well-being of women. Yet the U.S. government has recently changed or removed more than 8,000 pages^1,2,4 from federal health websites—severely limiting access to crucial medical guidance.

These deletions affect resources from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This includes vital public health information on topics such as HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, contraceptive usage and safety, clinical trial diversity, maternal mortality and morbidity, transgender health, and LGBTQ+ youth health.^1,2,3,4.

Who This Affects Most

The suppression of this information disproportionately impacts women, minorities, and other marginalized individuals.

Without these resources, patients, healthcare providers, and researchers face significant challenges in making informed decisions about treatment options, preventive care, and wellness strategies.

Removing this content doesn’t just restrict access to knowledge—it undermines progress in gender-specific medical research and healthcare equity.

[SIDEBAR: In December 2024, a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) found that the NIH has consistently failed to prioritize and fund research on women’s health.⁶ The report called for an additional $16 billion in funding to close the gap.But with the current administration’s clear bias—and what some are calling an outright war on women—the likelihood of that funding materializing is slim to none.]

Fortunately, there are advocates out there working to archive this information and make it available to the public⁵. This article contains a list of these recovered resources.

The Political Undermining of Public Health

While the transition of government from one party to another should not have an impact on the availability of evidence-based health and wellness information, it has. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for independent, non-governmental sources of evidence-based health resources.

The Role of Advocacy Organizations

Thankfully, not all hope is lost. Organizations like the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) are leading the charge to protect and advance women’s health through policy, education, and science.

For example, SWHR is committed to ensuring that the “Sex as a Biological Variable” policy remains in place at the NIH—a critical step in ensuring that diseases, treatments, and medical interventions are researched with women’s unique physiology in mind.

The health needs of women change across the lifespan, from reproductive years through menopause and beyond, making access to stage-specific, research-backed resources even more critical.

Trusted, Evidence-Based Women’s Health Resources

Below is a curated list of evidence-based, non-governmental resources. These organizations provide science-backed guidance tailored to the unique health concerns of women in their reproductive years, during the menopausal transition, and post-menopause. By seeking out and sharing these resources, we can collectively safeguard access to vital health knowledge and ensure that all women have the information they need to thrive at every stage of life.

Teen/Reproductive Years:

Reproductive Health Access Project
Trains and supports primary care clinicians to expand access to reproductive health care—including abortion, contraception, and miscarriage care. Offers free, multilingual, evidence-based patient education materials and advocates for equity in clinical training and care.

Perimenopause/Menopause:

The North American Menopause Society
A leading independent organization offering evidence-based information on menopause and midlife women’s health. A trusted resource for both healthcare providers and the public.

Multiple Life Stages:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
A go-to source for reliable, science-backed women’s health information. Empowers patients to have informed conversations with their ob-gyn and take an active role in their care.

Planned Parenthood
A national leader in accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare and education. Advocates for affordable, high-quality services and is the largest provider of sex education in the U.S.

Our Bodies Ourselves
Offers rigorously vetted health and sexuality information that integrates medical expertise with lived experience. Prioritizes inclusivity and centers the voices of women and gender-expansive individuals.

Healthy Women
Focused on women aged 35 to 64, this organization provides medically reviewed, evidence-based content that supports healthy aging and empowered self-advocacy.

Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health: Reproductive Psychiatry Resource & Information Center
Offers reproductive psychiatry resources across life stages, with specialized support for BIPOC individuals seeking culturally aligned care.

Center for Science in the Public Interest
A science-based advocacy group promoting public health through nutrition, food policy reform, and transparency. Prioritizes disease prevention and food equity.

Take Charge: Stay Informed, Stay Empowered

In a time when access to trustworthy health information is being stripped away, staying informed isn’t just important—it’s a form of resistance. Every person deserves science-backed, inclusive resources that support informed choices, not political agendas.

So bookmark these links. Share them with your friends, your clients, your healthcare providers. Support the organizations doing the hard work to keep this information alive. And above all, don’t let anyone tell you that your health isn’t worth fighting for. Because it is. Always. —Karin

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