Maria Shriver says 'pro-choice is not pro-abortion', decries lack of research in women's healthcare on new show
Maria Shriver highlighted the lack of research in women's healthcare on a segment of the 'Today' show called 'Women’s Wellness Disrupt-HERS with Maria Shriver'.
The show will air this August in honor of National Wellness Month.
Shriver was candid about the abortion debate and told PEOPLE, "I’ve always been pro-choice. And I think it’s a woman’s right to decide what to do with her body and to have access to that."
The 63-year-old further clarified that she always makes the distinction that "pro-choice is not pro-abortion."
She added that it is a woman's right to choose what she wants to do with her body.
"We had a very long time in our history where we didn’t have the right to vote, to own property, to get finances, to have your name on the deed of your house, to get divorced. There are a lot of things women have not had a choice about that have been changed in my lifetime by women raising their voices," Shriver said.
The actress also spoke about other important women's healthcare issues as well including Alzheimer's. She added that, over the last 15 years, she has been trying to figure out why women are the primary ones to get the disease.
"There’s a huge gender research gap, which has led to a gender knowledge gap," Shriver explained. "[Women] get depression more than anybody, get anxiety, 80 percent of the autoimmune issues start when a woman gets her period. There’s this vacuum of what do we know and what can we do about it?"
She also spoke about how women's healthcare treatments have remained the same even though other technologies are quickly changing.
She gave examples of how Tampax has been the same for the last 50 years and how doctors have been treating women's concerns the same for 30 years. "Things are changing by the decade and nothing has caught up with that," Shriver said.
Shriver had previously appeared on the 'Today' show and her segments were well received by the audience. This led to the creation of 'Women’s Wellness Disrupt-HERS with Maria Shriver'.
