Professional Development

Women's Health

The ADA is committed to helping women improve outcomes with expert-derived resources that address racial disparities and promote best practices.

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Women’s health is crucial to overall health care. Diabetes—whether gestational, type 1, or type 2—poses unique challenges for women at every life stage, making focused care essential. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is dedicated to advancing women’s health, recognizing the need for specialized study, care, and continuous improvement.

Gestational Diabetes

One of our key areas of women’s health is GDM, which has three main goals:

  1. Strengthen prenatal GDM screening and referral pathways for pregnant women and at-risk populations.  
     
  2. Improve postpartum care navigation from specialist to primary care screening and/or treatment for diabetes. 
     
  3. Empower community health workers, doulas, and promotoras to promote and facilitate prenatal and postpartum screenings and treatment.

The ADA aims to improve health outcomes for women with gestational diabetes (GDM) by adopting equitable, sustainable care models and promoting best practices and education guidelines. GDM is a growing problem in the U.S., especially for people of color. GDM is a major cause of serious maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes and may cause women to experience significant health problems later in life. 

If GDM is not managed, diabetes can confer significant maternal and fetal risk: 

  • Unmanaged diabetes in pregnancy can cause risks to both mother and baby. 
  • GDM is strongly related to race and culture. Rates are higher in Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian women than in white women.
  • Women with a history of GDM have an increased risk of being diagnosed with diabetes in later pregnancies and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 
  • Risk of harmful mother and baby complications continuously increases as a function of maternal glycemia at 24–28 weeks of pregnancy.

 

Patient Resources

Women with a history of GDM have an increased risk for recurrent diabetes in subsequent pregnancies and a 10-fold risk of developing type 2 diabetes (compared to women without GDM). Share information on planning for pregnancy, what to expect, and treatment tactics.

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Continuing Education Courses

Access free continuing education (CE) courses designed for professionals who care for individuals at-risk for or living with GDM, helping them implement best practices in screening and management. The program offers up to two CE credits on the following topics:

  • GDM basics: Importance of screening for GDM at 24–28 weeks of pregnancy
  • GDM treatments: Elements of the treatment plan for women with GDM
  • GDM technology: Role of blood glucose monitoring in women with GDM
  • Healthy equity: Implications of stigma, racism, disparity, and social determinants of health in women with GDM

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Webinars

Gestational Diabetes and the Impact of Race, Societal, and Lifestyle Factors on Black Maternal Health Disparities

This webinar addresses the disparities affecting Black women with GDM, exploring the historical and systemic factors behind these health inequities. It emphasizes the need for solutions to address these disparities and highlights the fourth trimester as a crucial intervention period to reduce long-term risks.

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Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Glimpse into the Future 

This webinar, led by Jacqueline LaManna, PhD, APRN, CDCES, focuses on the importance of early screening for diabetes in pregnant women and the screening process for GDM. It covers the timeline for postpartum care and ongoing screening for women with a history of GDM. The discussion emphasizes how leveraging screening data can enhance timely care and education, supporting women’s health into the future.

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The Women’s Health Initiative is supported, in part by, the CVS Health Foundation. Learn more.