Who was the first U.S. female Surgeon General?

• A. Jocelyn Elders
• B. Regina Benjamin
• C. Vivek Murthy
• D. Antonia Novello

Answer: (D)

This question checks who first broke the gender barrier as U.S. Surgeon General. The Surgeon General is the nation’s leading spokesperson on public health, responsible for communicating health information to the public and advising on health issues through the U.S. Public Health Service.

Antonia Novello held the post from 1990 to 1993, and she was the first woman to serve as Surgeon General as well as the first Hispanic to hold the position. Her appointment marked a historic milestone and helped emphasize pediatric and preventive health in the early 1990s.

The other individuals listed came later: Jocelyn Elders became Surgeon General after Novello, as the second woman to hold the role; Regina Benjamin later served as the third woman; and Vivek Murthy is male and served starting in 2014 (with a later term). Therefore, the earliest female Surgeon General is Antonia Novello.