On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instituting what appears to be a historic first: the creation of a special division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dedicated solely to women’s health. The plan is aimed at research on of health issues that predominantly affect women.

The order, led by First Lady Melania Trump and signed in the Rose Garden, creates a new Women’s Health Division at the NIH and a White House Women’s Health Task Force to confront what they believe to be a longstanding shortfall in research and treatment for conditions that disproportionately affect women, according to a White House document obtained by USA Today.

The First Lady organized working sessions with physicians, East Wing policymakers, the president and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to shape the order, which directs targeted funding, deploys advanced tools including artificial intelligence to speed discoveries in female biology, and accelerates the movement of promising therapies from laboratories to patients while prioritizing affordability and broader public awareness.

The task force will be co-led by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary Kennedy, marking the second executive order the first lady has spearheaded in this administration after her earlier Fostering the Future child-welfare initiative.

Republicans framing themselves as the modern party of women

Counter to what many Democrats have long believed — positioning themselves as the party of women — Trump's administration has advanced a series of measures trying to show a different side of the story. That story is focused in large part on biological reality, research equity, and workplace support for mothers.

In November 2025, the HHS and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) announced the removal of broad “black box” warnings from hormone replacement therapy products used for menopause symptoms, citing a review of scientific literature that found the decades-old labels overstated risks of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and dementia based on outdated study data.

Earlier in the term, the administration appointed Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary; she became the first woman to serve in the role while pregnant, announcing in December 2025 that she was expecting a daughter and later giving birth in May 2026. She remained in the job before stepping down to focus on her two young children, with Leavitt publicly thanking Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for fostering a pro-family environment. The White House press secretary position is currently vacant following the departure of Katie Zacharia on October 16, 2026, after five days on the job.

Anti-DEI: Barring men from women's athletics, restoring women's titles and records

Separately, the Education Department formally rescinded the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rewrite and reinstated the 2020 regulations, restoring sex-based protections for female athletes and intimate spaces. In contrast, Trump signed an executive order barring men from women’s sports and another recognizing only two biological sexes across federal policy.

These steps, combined with resolution agreements requiring universities to restore female titles and records, have drawn support from some female athletes and advocates who argued prior policies undermined fair competition and privacy, even as high-profile Democratic politicians and constituents continue to emphasize gender-identity frameworks and measures based on a different understanding of biological sex. 

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., announced the reintroduction of a “Trans Bill of Rights” on Wednesday in a public ceremony. 

"This bill supports amending the Civil Rights Act to ensure that trans people have the same rights and protections as all other Americans. It creates a level playing field where trans people no longer have to fight tooth and nail to get the same treatment as their cisgender friends," Jayapal said, according to The Washington Blade. 

Womens' unique biology presents higher risk of wide range of medical problems

Women face more conditions that are exclusive or nearly exclusive to their sex, primarily because of a more complex reproductive system and lifelong hormonal cycles, including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and uterine fibroids, which can cause chronic pain, infertility, and heavy bleeding.

Among U.S. women ages 20 to 49, 6.2% have been diagnosed with endometriosis, 8.7% with polycystic ovary syndrome, and 7.8% with uterine fibroids, according to recent CDC data from the National Survey of Family Growth, with those diagnosed showing higher rates of fertility problems.

Menopause, a transition unique to women, brings additional risks as declining estrogen levels accelerate bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis and are linked to shifts in cholesterol and heart health, according to the National Institute on Aging. 

Women also account for roughly 80% of autoimmune disease cases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, which can raise cardiovascular risks and often involve longer diagnostic delays compared with men. These patterns, tied to hormonal and genetic differences, expose likely gaps in research and treatment that affect the quality of life for millions of women and their loved ones.

Amanda Head is White House Correspondent for Just the News. You can follow her here.