8 Common Women’s Health Issues & Tips on How To Prevent Them

• PMS: According to Healthy Women, 75% of women in their child-bearing years experience PMS, and 20 to 40% have difficulties as a result of premenstrual syndrome. PMS can show up anytime between puberty and menopause, but is most commonly an issue during your 20s and 30s.
• Reproductive Issues: Globally, one-third of health problems in women between the ages of 15 and 44 stem from reproductive health, per World Health Organization.
• Heart Health: 1 in 4 women die from heart disease in the United States. Taking preventive measures against this will only take 30 minutes of your time a day, up to four times a week.
• Mental Health Illnesses: According to the Mental Health Foundation, women are three times more likely to experience mental health issues than men.
• Insomnia and Sleep Problems: Trouble sleeping is all too common, especially for women, and is often the result of a lifestyle filled with lots of stress that can result in poor diet choices.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Estimates and studies show that STDs are common and estimate over half of the people in the US will have one in their lifetime. Nine million women per year in the US are diagnosed with an STI or STD, reports the Office on Women's Health.
• Breast and Cervical Cancer: The World Health Organization estimated that globally, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.
• UTIs: Urinary tract infections account for 8 million visits to the doctor each year in the US and about 40% of women will have symptoms of a UTI in their lifetime, per the Urology Care Foundation.

The most common women’s health issues are often the most preventable and treatable.

By incorporating some of these practices, routines, and actions, you can make great strides toward improving your long-term health.

1. Make sure you have an annual checkup! Preventive care is the key for long-term health.
2. Develop good sleep hygiene and routines.
3. Use proper protection/safe sex practices.
4. Practice preventive care and healthy lifestyle habits.
5. Stress reduction is key for disease prevention.
6. Take your supplements.
7. Make time for regular physical activity.
8. Prioritize self-care and make time for activities outside your normal routine.

Scheduling and attending your annual women's wellness exam is a crucial step for preventive care. Doctors recommend that women between the ages of 21 and 65 have a Pap smear done every three years. It is also recommended if you are 21 or older to have a pelvic exam done once a year. If you have any concerning symptoms, then you should schedule a visit as soon as possible.

In other words, don’t stay up late every night when you know you have to wake up early in the morning (also referred to as revenge bedtime procrastination). Limit your time and exposure to blue light from electronic devices like laptops, tablets, TVs, and phones 30 minutes to an hour before going to bed.

Instead of scrolling, try reading or journaling before bed. Winding down will help signal to your brain that it's time to rest and help you get a better night's sleep (poor sleep often leads to other health issues).

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Unsafe sex is one of the biggest risk factors to reproductive health, notes the World Health Organization. Practicing good sexual hygiene, such as washing sex toys and urinating and showering after intercourse, can also help prevent UTIs. Using condoms or other barrier methods can help prevent sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections.

Preventive care is one of the biggest factors in keeping common health issues at bay. Preventive care means screening for diseases and issues before they become a problem, whether it's diabetes, a cancer screening, or talking to a mental health care professional about anxiety or depression. Making healthy lifestyle choices, like quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol consumption and even caffeine, can yield long-term benefits for your overall health and wellness.

There are many ways to manage, cope with, and reduce your stress levels. The most important thing about reducing and managing your stress is finding what works best for you personally. Minimizing your screen time, spending time outdoors, and practicing mindfulness, either through mediation or another practice, such as gratitude journaling, are all excellent strategies.

Connecting with others — whether that's family or friends — and engaging in pleasurable activities, such as a hobby outside of work, are other great methods for reducing your stress levels.

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While it's best to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs through the food you eat, this isn’t always possible or realistic, especially depending on your schedule and other commitments. That's when multivitamins can help fill in nutritional gaps, according to medical health professionals. Ask your doctor which supplements are best for you.

If you are pregnant, have food allergies or intolerances, or have conditions that affect your nutrient intake, multivitamins can be even more beneficial for you, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Regular exercise is one of the best ways for women to prevent common health issues. For managing stress, heart health problems, and mental health issues, daily movement — even as little as 30 minutes — can make a huge difference. The CDC recommends daily movement for 30 minutes a day, five days per week for adults.

Physical activity doesn't have to mean going to the gym — unless you love it! It can be any physical activity that increases your heart rate, such as a fast-paced walk, dancing, riding your bike, or taking your pet outside. It may also be motivating and fun to invite a friend to join you on your walk, ride, or a new fitness class such as yoga or Pilates.

Last but certainly not least, is prioritizing self-care and making time for activities outside of your normal routine. It's important to set boundaries around your time and energy so you can have the space you need to care for yourself.

If your calendar and commitments are overwhelming, see where you can start scaling back. Then carve out space for some spontaneity! Maybe this looks like a drive to the beach one weekend or another favorite spot you haven't had time to visit lately.

Or maybe start smaller by giving yourself even just 15 minutes a day that don't have to be productive, during which you can do something fun or enjoyable for yourself, like a apply a face mask at the end of the day, or read a book that's been on your TBR list for too long.