May is National Women’s Health Month!

This is a time to raise awareness around the health issues that either impact women specifically or at a higher rate, and to encourage women to prioritize their health and overall well-being.

May is dedicated to helping women learn about what preventive care they need at different points in their lives, and to encouraging them to schedule appointments to access that care.

Unfortunately, often women put themselves last when it comes to scheduling routine doctor’s appointments or other medical care.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 16% of women over 18 years old report experiencing either poor or fair health.

This statistic illustrates the importance of educating women on the importance of making the time to take care of their health, and providing them with the resources they need to access the care they deserve.

Women face unique health issues

Some of the health conditions that women may experience throughout their lifetimes include:

• Heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and is responsible for 1 out of every 3 deaths. 
• Breast cancer, which is the second most common type of cancer impacting women in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 13% of women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis at some point.
• Ovarian cancer, which occurs primarily in women over the age of 55, with the highest percentage of cases occurring in women over the age of 75. However, it can occur in younger women as well.
• Cervical cancer, which is most commonly caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). As of 2021, there were nearly 13,000 new cases each year.

• Osteoporosis: While osteoporosis can affect both men and women, the majority of cases (over 80%) occur in women.
• Mental health issues: Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can impact everyone, but different conditions may have different symptoms for men and women.

Accessing Care

Tricare aims to ensure that women in the military community are healthy at all stages of life. It provides comprehensive health care including preventive care. Available services include:

• Well Women exams (for women under 65 years old) which include breast and pelvic exams, pap tests, and HPV testing. For women over the age of 65 who are on Tricare for Life, preventive screenings are also covered.
• Reproductive health and contraception (coverage varies; more information can be found here)
• Gestational diabetes screening between 24 and 48 weeks of pregnancy (for those at risk)

Tricare also provides many other disease prevention screenings, covered in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention exams. These exams include the following screenings:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Type 2 Diabetes (for those at higher risk)
• Hepatitis B and C (for those at higher risk)
• HIV
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Tuberculosis
• Rubella antibodies
• Osteoporosis

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention exams also include a physical and a routine eye exam.

Preventing Disease

In addition to accessing necessary medical care, National Women’s Health Month is also a great time to engage in other health-promoting behaviors.

Military OneSource has resources for healthy eating, fitness, and health and wellness coaching.

If you live on or near a base, your local MWR may provide access to fitness classes, passes to nearby parks to enjoy hiking and exploring nature, and ideas for getting physically active and eating healthy meals as a family.

Your health is important, and you deserve to take some time this month (and every month!) to invest in your health and well-being.

*OTHER SOURCES (Be sure to check them out!)

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/womens-health.htm

https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html

https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/Demographics/

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db405.htm

https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-heart-disease-in-women/facts

https://tricare.mil/HealthWellness/HealthyLiving/Womens_Health

https://tricare.mil/CoveredServices/IsItCovered/HPDPE