Battaglino accepted a position as a program coordinator with HealthyWomen – a nonprofit just getting off the ground providing health information to women across the country (something fairly unheard of in that era of acid-wash jeans).
“I look back and laugh, because (at the time) I had to explain what women’s health even was,” Battaglino says. “On top of that, everything was direct mail and toll-free numbers. That was how people got information.”
It was Battaglino’s job to answer calls, using those inquiries to create an information database for themed newsletters that were snail-mailed to women. After just a few weeks, Battaglino realized she kept getting the same types of questions, mainly about osteoporosis and breast implants.
She says pelvic health conversations centered on pregnancy.
Whispers of endometriosis
Around this important time in Battaglino’s life, John Duffey, vice president, U.S. specialty, AbbVie, was starting his career as a pharmaceutical sales representative. His area of focus was women’s health.