Hologic offers specialized screenings for WTA athletes

Hologic and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) kicked off a multi-year partnership this week with their first onsite activities at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, launching a joint vision to achieve greater wellness and equality for women.

The Hologic WTA Tour was announced last week when medical technology leader Hologic became the title sponsor for the WTA, the global leader in women’s professional sports.

In alignment with the WTA’s commitment to making athlete health and wellness a top priority, and Hologic’s focus on improving women’s health through early detection and treatment, the partnership will allow players to receive expanded and specialized screenings. In a first for WTA athletes, those competing in the BNP Paribas Open will have the opportunity to undergo a scan with Hologic’s Horizon DXA system. The system provides detailed analysis of bone density and body composition by looking at multiple factors and segmented data on different parts of the body. “The DXA analysis gives players and their teams valuable insights about body composition and bone health that can be used to help inform training and performance strategy,” said Dr. Susan Harvey, chief medical officer for Hologic’s Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions Division. “We’re thrilled to join forces with the WTA to provide their elite athletes with this world-class technology.”

Not only does this elevate the player’s immediate physical healthcare, but it also amplifies the greater mission we share for promoting healthy practices and preventative care
Kathleen Stroia

The DXA scan will be added to the robust health screenings that the WTA already provides for players, including evaluations with specialists across dermatology, cardiology, orthopedics, internal medicine, nutrition and hydration, and mental health. WTA athletes will go through physicals at the tournament grounds from March 7–10. With support from Hologic, the WTA will now increase its frequency of screenings to empower the organizations’ joint mission of championing women to making their health a top priority.

Kathleen Stroia, WTA SVP Performance Health, said: “We are excited to welcome the Hologic team and its leading medical technology to the WTA’s players health and wellness experience. This is just the beginning of what we can achieve through this innovative partnership. Not only does this elevate the player’s immediate physical healthcare, but it also amplifies the greater mission we share for promoting healthy practices and preventative care, which positions us to globally champion women’s health.”

This is one example of what the two organizations hope to accomplish together – providing broader opportunities for advocacy and building awareness about screenings and early detection.

WTA training staff

Photo by Jimmie48/WTA

ACEing Cancer

The Hologic-WTA collaboration also will come to life this week through WTA Charities’ ACEing Cancer program. Beginning at the BNP Paribas Open and continuing at all WTA tournaments throughout the season, Hologic will make contributions to WTA Charities ACEing Cancer program, an initiative designed to raise awareness and proceeds towards the fight against women’s cancers. WTA athletes and legends of the game will participate in various ACEing Cancer activities to help raise awareness in the need for early detection and treatment. The public can join the cause as well - to learn more about ACEing Cancer visit http://www.wtatennis.com/aceingcancer

This partnership begins at a pivotal moment when preventive screenings are down for women across the world because of the Covid pandemic. It’s more important than ever that women prioritize their health – and one way to do that is through an annual Well Woman visit. To learn more about the Well Woman exam, visit ScreeningsForHer.com.

Source: Hologic

10.03.2022