The Fact
In the CDC’s 2021 National Health Interview Survey, 64.8% of U.S. adults reported taking prescription medication during the previous 12 months. The rate was 70.9% for women and 58.4% for men.
What This Means
Roughly seven out of ten adult women had taken a prescription medication during the year. Women therefore have more exposure, at the population level, to the benefits and risks of prescription drugs.
Drug research, dosing, metabolism, and adverse reactions are not abstract women’s-health issues when women are the group more likely to be taking prescription medication in the first place.
Sources
- CDC, National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2021. MMWR 2023;72(16):450. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7216a7.htm