OWH launched the National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) in 1998 with support from ACF, AHRQ, AOA, ATSDR, CDC, FDA, CMS, HRSA, IHS, NIH, and SAMHSA. The original function of NWHIC was to provide a gateway to the vast array of federal health information available at a time when the Internet was still a new technology. A key part of the NWHIC was the toll-free call center — an alternative way to reach people who needed women's health information. While the technology of NWHIC has evolved over the years from printed publications and a call center to flagship websites and social media channels, the outcome has been consistent — OWH, other federal Offices of Women's Health, and several HHS agencies and offices provide the reliable, unbiased information women and girls need to learn about their health and how they can improve it.
Each HHS agency and office provides access to reliable, unbiased women's health information as it relates to their mission. In addition, most agencies and offices use social media to ensure that women have access to the latest health information at their fingertips. Many agencies and offices have also created apps or other web tools such as risk calculators so that women can easily participate in their own or their family's health care decisions.
Over the last 30 years, information technology has changed the way we live. Here at HHS we will continue to evolve to ensure that we are providing women and girls with the information they need to achieve the best possible health.