Obesity, STDs Plaguing More U.S. Women

While fewer American women are smoking and dying from heart disease and stroke, there have been disturbing setbacks in women's health in the U.S. over the last decade.

The newly released 2010 edition of Making the Grade on Women's Health: a National and State-by-State Report Card, developed by the National Women's Law Center and the Oregon Health & Science University, showed that more women are suffering from obesity, high blood pressure and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, more women are engaging in riskier behaviors, like binge drinking and failing to obtain regular health screenings for conditions like cervical cancer.

"We've been collecting this data for 10 years," Dr. Michelle Berlin, vice chairwoman of obstetrics and gynecology and associate director for the Center for Women's Health at OHSU, told AOL Health. "The lack of progress is shocking."

Among the more disturbing data is the increase in binge drinking among American women. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks on one occasion.

Berlin said that though the increase may in part be due to differences in the way the federal government tracks this kind of data, she doesn't believe that's the sole reason for the spike. She theorizes that it may be a response to stress, which could be exacerbated by the still sluggish economy.

"People self-medicate with alcohol and tobacco," Berlin pointed out. She said she is concerned because women who drink excessively are more likely to get into car accidents, become victims of sexual abuse or engage in unprotected sex.

Fewer women are also seeking regular screenings for cervical cancer, and Berlin doesn't think it's due to a lack of education. "Women know they need to get regular Pap smears," she said. "I think it's an issue of access. Fewer women have health insurance, or they only have catastrophic insurance." She expects the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will help address this by keeping insurance companies from charging co-payments for preventive care like cervical cancer screenings.

Berlin said so many of the health issues faced by American women have to do with access to options that make it easier for them to lead healthy lives. Massachusetts and Vermont, for example, scored highest among U.S. states for the status of women's health within their borders, while Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi scored the lowest. "There are differences in the states as to how they invest in health care," Berlin explained. "A lot of Southern states are resource poor, but we think the federal government could be directing additional funds to them."

The report highlighted a number of other distressing points on the health of American women, including the following:

-- One in five American women, age 18 to 64, is uninsured. Massachusetts ranks highest with 95 percent of female residents insured.

-- Almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended.

-- More than 26 percent of American women are now obese. In Mississippi, nearly 37 percent of women are obese.

-- 13.4 percent of women live in poverty nationwide. In Mississippi, more than 20 percent of women do.

-- Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of heart disease deaths among women, with almost 175 deaths per 100,000.

-- West Virginia has the highest rate of diabetes among women; almost 13 percent of female residents suffer from the condition.

For more shocking women's health statistics, visit AOL Health.