March is Women’s History Month, and state officials this month published updated numbers on women’s health in Kentucky.
Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, the Kentucky Commission on Women, and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services released a new report on the status of women’s health in the commonwealth.
According to a release from the lieutenant governor’s office, the report was developed in partnership with the Division of Women’s Health at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to highlight public health data indicators related to women including rates of insurance coverage, chronic disease prevalence, mental health data, and maternal health indicators, among other data points.
The data shows that eight percent of women in Kentucky are uninsured, which is on par with the national average, but Kentucky has the highest cancer mortality rate in the country. About 22 percent of Kentucky women ages 18 to 44 say their mental health is “not good” and about 1 in 10 Kentucky high school girls attempt suicide. Nearly half of Kentucky women have experienced domestic violence or stalking during their lifetime.
Coleman said in the release: “As someone whose life was saved by early detection through screenings, we should celebrate the advances that have been made for women’s health while also admitting there are severe deficits and far too many women cannot access the care they need and deserve.”
The full report and more statistics can be found at women.ky.gov.
