WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Women understand that animal research in medicine is a key to finding treatments and cures for dozens of devastating and even deadly diseases, but are not aware that some animal rights groups are strongly opposed to all animal research, according to the first-ever national poll focused on women's attitudes toward medical research, animal rights, and charitable giving released by Americans for Medical Progress, a national medical research advocacy organization.

Research on animals is widely accepted by a strong majority of women (57 percent) and opposed by only 35 percent. The new survey also found that more than two-thirds (69 percent) of all the women surveyed would choose medical research involving animals over animal rights.

The poll will inform a major new public awareness program about the vital role that animals play in women's health research. The Women's Health Campaign, co-sponsored by Americans for Medical Progress and the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Foundation, will also address the ways in which many animal rights organizations are threatening critical women's health research.

"Virtually every medical advance in this century has grown out of animal research," said Lynn O'Connell, Vice President of Americans for Medical Progress. "This research is essential to developing treatments for diseases and conditions that affect women's health, and it is required by the U.S. government before any new medicines can be made available for use by women. Yet, many animal rights groups -- including some led by women -- vow to end all research on animals, despite its proven and potential benefits to women's health. Women are the primary donors to animal groups. But this new poll indicates animal rights groups that oppose medical research involving animals are working against the interests and wishes of many of their supporters."

The survey found that women are concerned about animals' welfare. "Women should know that the animals involved in this important research are well and humanely treated," said Mary Bean, 1998 President of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. "The standards for animals in research laboratories exceed those for people in hospitals and nursing homes."

According to the survey, nearly half (47 percent) of women who donate to animal causes support animal research. While 50 percent of animal cause donors say they give money to animal rights groups, 74 percent also report giving to health organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.

"Women strongly support medical research on animals and believe that it is a critical component of finding cures for diseases," said Celinda Lake, President of Lake Snell Perry and Associates, the firm which conducted the poll. "There is clearly a disconnect between the position of many animal rights groups and the beliefs of women, including those who support these groups. Of the one in five women in the survey who say they contribute to animal rights groups, almost half favor medical research on animals and two-thirds believe that animal testing is necessary, not frivolous."

Among the poll's other findings:

• Three quarters (75 percent) of women believe that "while animals' lives should be valued, they should not be considered more important than human lives."

• More than two-thirds (71 percent) agree that "animals are still needed in medical research because they provide a living system on which to test drugs before they are given to humans."

• Three in five women don't think that animal rights activists have a negative impact on the advancement of women's health, and only 22 percent are worried that animal rights activists threaten women's health research.

• Almost half of the women surveyed (45 percent) think that animal rights groups go too far.

• Almost seven in ten (67 percent) say they would continue to contribute to a health organization, such as the March of Dimes and the American Heart Association, if they learned that it supports using animals for medical research.

The Women's Health Campaign includes a new report, An Album of Research Hope, which illustrates how using animals has helped researchers gain insight into and develop treatments for some of the nation's leading killers including heart disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer, as well as other conditions and diseases that primarily affect women. An Album of Research Hope also includes women's personal stories relating the difference animal research has made in their struggles against health challenges.

Eleven of the nation's leading health organizations have joined the Women's Health Campaign thus far: the American Heart Association, American Medical Women's Association, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research, California Biomedical Research Association, Massachusetts Society for Medical Research, New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research, Ohio Scientific Education &Research Association, Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research, Texas Society for Biomedical Research, and Washington Association for Biomedical Research. Corporate support is from Covance Laboratories, Glaxo Wellcome, Merck Research Laboratories, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, United States Surgical Corporation and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, with additional funding from the Stella & Charles Guttman Foundation and the Yerkes Research Center.

"Animal research is playing a critical role in the development of new treatments for women suffering from a wide variety of conditions, among them arthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, lupus and Parkinson's disease," said Mary Bean of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. " Women deserve to know the facts surrounding the continued need for animals in women's health research."

Lynn O'Connell of Americans for Medical Progress added, "As a woman who has faced Crohn's disease and cancer, and as a woman who loves animals, I understand the debt we owe to research animals that provide scientists with new information about disease. Like the very nature of animal research in medicine, our Women's Health Campaign is about information and compassion."

The Women's Health Campaign will last for two years and seeks to involve an ever growing list of health advocacy organizations in its information outreach to women. This January, Albert B. Sabin Heroes of Science Awards will be presented to six individuals – scientists, government officials and private citizens – who have contributed to progress in medical research to advance the health of women.

Additional information about the Women's Health Campaign may be found on the Internet at

http://www. amprogress.org. A copy of An Album of Research Hope may be requested from [email protected] or by writing to Americans for Medical Progress, 421 King Street, Suite 401, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

(The survey, designed by Lake Snell Perry & Associates, was conducted by telephone using professional interviewers from September 14 to September 20, 1998. This survey reached 800 female and 200 male registered voters age 18 and older and 100 donors. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3.5 percentage points.)