The health plight of rural women.

All poor women have difficulty obtaining needed health services due to their poorer health status and lesser ability to pay for services. Rural poor women have additional conditions imposed on them by the isolation of the rural environment from resources commonly available in urban areas, such as public transportation to services and the availability of a wide range of health resources. Strategies to address the health plight of rural women must first and foremost address their poverty. Strategies must also include a coherent national and state rural health policy that recognizes rural health as a distinct part of the larger health system.