Social: #WomensEyeHealth

Twitter: @PBA_savingsight

Facebook: @preventblindness

Website: www.preventblindness.org/womens-eye-health-and-safety-awareness-month 

The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems, women make up the majority of the 4.4 million Americans age 40 and older who are visually impaired or blind.  More women than men have age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. These numbers will only continue to increase in the years to come. 

Although there are no cures for these diseases, many of the effects may be lessened through early detection and treatment. A recent online survey on behalf of Prevent Blindness found, however, that one in four women had not received an eye exam in the past two years. Cost was cited as the number one reason for both those who did and did not have vision insurance.  Other reasons cited were transportation issues and simply being “too busy” to make an appointment.

The recent survey results are alarming combined with the results from the Prevent Blindness survey conducted last year by Harris Poll which found that:

• Less than 10 percent of American women realize that women are at a greater risk of suffering permanent vision loss than men

• 86 percent incorrectly believe that men and women are at equal risk

• 5 percent believe that men are at greater risk 

Prevent Blindness has designated April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month in an effort to educate women about the steps they can take today to help preserve vision in the future.

Prevent Blindness 
211 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60606 
(800) 331-2020 
(312) 363-6001 
(312) 363-6052 Fax 
info@preventblindness.org 
www.preventblindness.org/womens-eye-health-and-safety-awareness-month 
Materials available 
Contact: None designated

Source: 2019 National Health Observances, National Health Information Center, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.