Kellyanne Conway's Definition of "Women's Health" Might Enrage You

Kellyanne Conway, former campaign manager for Donald Trump and now counselor to the president, does not seem to care if her on-the-record comments are true. To Conway, facts that do not prove her point are erroneous, and "alternative facts" are permissible evidence.

You might consider her definition of women's health during a 2014 interview with The New York Times as an alternative fact. Conway, who built her political career as a pollster studying conservative causes (namely antiabortion groups), tried to differentiate between women's health issues and reproductive rights.

"Women's health issues are osteoporosis or breast cancer or seniors living alone who don't have enough money for health care," Conway said. Her definition doubles as a Republican attack line; she encouraged Republican leaders to "challenge" Democrats when they described abortion as a women's health issue.

Conway's comment also refers to how Democrats skillfully removed the word abortion from political debates, favoring terms like "pro-choice." Her definition could be considered an "out" for Republican leaders who do not want to debate abortion because it's "not" a women's health issue.

Despite Conway's opinion, abortion remains a women's health issue regardless of politics. The World Health Organization lists the top women's health issues as cancer, reproductive health, maternal health, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, violence against women, and mental health. While breast cancer is certainly a women's health issue, disease is not the only health problem women encounter.

The uterus is sexual organ; that is an indisputable fact. If abortion and contraception are not women's health issues, then what are they? They're certainly not men's health issues, though you might think they are judging by how many men sign laws having to do with reproductive health.