Women are often the keepers of all things—the ones who take care of every little detail in life. But while you’re taking care of everything else, who’s taking care of you?
Women face unique health challenges and conditions at every age and stage of life. To keep yourself healthy as you go through life, it’s important to pay attention to your health and to have regular checkups.
Putting yourself first isn’t selfish—it’s essential. Keep reading to learn about some common women’s health issues and how you can protect your health.
Reproductive and Gynecological Health
Endometriosis
Up to 10% of U.S. women between ages 15 and 44 have endometriosis. This condition causes uterine tissue to grow outside of the uterus, leading to:
- Pain with periods, sexual activity, having a bowel movement, or urinating
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Bleeding or spotting
- Digestive problems
- Blood in the stool or urine
- Infertility (>1/3 of women with infertility have endometriosis)
When the tissue grows and bleeds outside of the uterus during a woman’s menstrual period, the blood can’t easily exit from the body, leading to unpleasant and even debilitating symptoms. Some, however, can be asymptomatic.
Risk Factors
Any woman can develop endometriosis, but it’s more common among those who:
- Have a family member with endometriosis
- Have menstrual cycles lasting fewer than 27 days on average
- Have never had children
- Have periods lasting longer than seven days
Menstrual Health
On average, women experience a menstrual cycle and periods for up to 40 years of their lives. The menstrual cycle causes hormonal fluctuations and a number of symptoms that can vary in severity. Irregularities in the menstrual cycle can also cause symptoms that affect quality of life.
Irregular Periods
The normal menstrual cycle ranges from 21 to 35 days, generally lasting 5 days. However, up to 25% of women have “irregular menstrual cycles.” These irregularities can include:
- Shorter or longer cycles
- Heavier or lighter periods
- Bleeding between periods
- Periods that are accompanied by health problems, including cramps
PMS
Up to 30% of women experience premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, at some point in their lifetime. PMS causes physical and emotional symptoms in the time period between ovulation and the start of a woman’s period. Severe symptoms may be a sign of another disorder, called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which affects up to 5% of women.
Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. women experience heavy menstrual bleeding. “Heavy” bleeding is defined by:
- Having a period lasting longer than seven days
- Needing to change tampons or pads after less than two hours
- Soaking through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row
- Needing to change pads or tampons overnight
Heavy menstrual bleeding can have many causes, including:
- Bleeding disorders
- Uterine polyps or fibroids
- Hormonal imbalances
- The use of some medications or contraceptive devices
Importance of Well-Woman Visits
You might think about visiting a medical provider when you’re under the weather, but you should also do it when you’re healthy. An annual well-woman checkup can help you keep a close eye on your health, allowing you to identify any physical or mental health issues before they become severe.
These visits also offer an opportunity to talk with your provider about the age-appropriate screenings and vaccines you should receive to stay at your healthiest as you get older.
Heart Disease
You might think about heart problems as primarily affecting men, but they’re just as common among women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both American men and women, causing more than 1 in 5 deaths in women.
Coronary artery disease, which occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries supplying blood to the heart, is the most common form of heart disease. In women, it’s more common after menopause. Heart rhythm abnormalities, heart failure, and heart attack are also common in women.
Symptoms Unique to Women
While women may experience chest pain—considered the telltale sign of a heart problem—it’s common for women to experience other symptoms that are frequently mistaken as a less serious medical condition. These symptoms may include:
- Dull or heavy pressure in the chest
- Fatigue
- Malaise
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back
These symptoms should all be taken seriously, since they can be a sign of a heart attack or another cardiovascular health concern.
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, can affect both men and women, but they are far more common among women—up to 30 times more common, in fact. This is due to anatomical differences. In the female body, the urethra is shorter than in a man’s body, making it easier for bacteria to travel to the bladder.
The urethra is also closer to the vagina and anus, which are often the source of the bacteria responsible for UTIs.
Symptoms
UTIs can cause a variety of symptoms, primarily affecting the urinary system:
- Cloudy or milky urine
- Increased urinary urgency
- Lower abdominal pressure
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Urine with a distinct odor
If a UTI travels to the kidneys, it can also cause a kidney infection with symptoms, such as back pain, fatigue, weakness or a fever.
UTI Treatment
Urinary tract infections are a type of bacterial infection, so they are treated using a course of antibiotics. It’s important to take the entire prescription, even if you begin feeling better, to prevent the infection from recurring.
Sexually Transmitted Infections
More than 9 million women in the United States are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, or STI, in any given year.
Common STIs in Women
Women have a higher risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection from unprotected vaginal sex than men. The most common STIs are:
- Chlamydia
- Genital herpes
- Gonorrhea
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Syphilis
Along with the higher risk, these infections can cause severe health problems in women, including infertility, pregnancy complications, and cancer.
HPV
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, affecting up to 80 percent of sexually active people at some point in their lifetime. There are multiple strains of human papillomaviruses, which are associated with cervical cancer, anal cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, penile cancer, and some types of oral and throat cancer. Some strains of HPV are also associated with genital warts. Since HPV is a virus, it cannot be cured using an antibiotic. However, there is a vaccine (Gardisil) that can prevent a person from developing HPV.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common bacteria-related STI. Because it doesn’t cause symptoms, many women are unaware they are affected, but it can lead to severe health issues if not treated, including chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Since the infection is bacterial, it is treated using an antibiotic.
Cancer Risks
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common form of non-skin cancer in women. Breast cancer is diagnosed in 1 in 8 women. The American Cancer Society estimates that 313,510 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2024, including more than 23,000 cases in Texas women. Regular breast cancer screenings, including mammograms, can help detect breast cancer in its earliest stages, when it’s most treatable.
Cervical Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2024, including nearly 1,500 cases in Texas. The majority of cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. This type of cancer, which develops in the cells of the cervix, is much less common and less deadly than in the past thanks to HPV vaccination and routine cervical cancer screenings, such as the Pap test.
Ovarian Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. This type of cancer forms in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or peritoneum, which is the tissue lining the abdominal cavity.
Because symptoms of the condition, including bloating and pelvic pain, are common in less-serious conditions, the disease can be difficult to recognize. As a result, it’s often diagnosed in later stages.
Risk Factors
The most significant risk factor for ovarian cancer is having a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. This also includes having inherited gene mutations such as BRCA1 or BRCA2. Smoking, being overweight or obese, and taking hormones can also increase a woman’s risk.
Prevention
There’s no known way to prevent ovarian cancer, but there are a few known things that can lower your risk:
- Breastfeeding
- Giving birth
- Having had a total hysterectomy
- Having had a tubal ligation
- Having had both fallopian tubes removed
- Having had both ovaries removed
- Using birth control pills containing both estrogen and progesterone for five or more years
Talk with a medical provider about a prevention strategy that’s best for you, particularly if you’re at high risk.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when bone density and mass decrease, which weakens bones and increases the risk of fracture. Often called a “silent” disease because it doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms, osteoporosis is particularly common among women after menopause due to low estrogen levels.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Nearly 7 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease—and according to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly two-thirds of those people are women. For women in their 60s, the risk of developing this form of dementia is double the risk of developing breast cancer.
Risk Factors
Age is the most significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and women’s longer life expectancy plays a big role in why more women are diagnosed. Other risk factors include:
- A family history of Alzheimer’s disease
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Inadequate or poor sleep
- Head trauma
- Lack of mental stimulation
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Unhealthy diet
- Unmanaged hearing loss
- Unmanaged high blood pressure
One other risk factor you might not think about? Loneliness. Social isolation has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Mental Health
While your physical health is important, it’s just as important to pay attention to your mental health. Women face an increased risk of many mental health issues.
Anxiety and Depression
More than 22 million U.S. adults are affected by depression, while 42.5 million adults have an anxiety disorder. Women are twice as likely as men to develop both mental health issues.
While researchers aren’t entirely sure why, it’s thought that hormones, including hormonal changes related to perimenopause, are partly to blame. Psychological factors such as the responsibilities women have in caring for others may also play a role.
Body Image Issues
Girls and women in the United States are bombarded with unhealthy and unrealistic body images nearly from birth. Images seen online and on television are often heavily filtered and curated, and images produced by artificial intelligence will add to the problem.
It’s important to work toward having an appreciation of your body and a positive body image. According to the Office on Women’s Health, women with a positive body image are more likely to maintain good physical and mental health, while those with a negative body image are more likely to develop eating disorders and mental health issues.
Women’s Health at University Health
Find all of the care you need at University Health. Our women’s health providers are here to help you stay healthy through every stage of life.
