National Women’s Checkup Day Date in the current year: May 12, 2024

The health of women differs from that of men in many unique ways. Although the term “women’s health” used to be synonymous with reproductive health (in fact, the two terms are still often used interchangeably), it is much broader than that. According to the World Health Organization, top women’s health issues include cancer, HIV, STIs, mental health and non-communicable diseases alongside reproductive and maternal health.

In addition, a number of health conditions that affect both men and women manifest differently in women. Since most medical studies have been done on men, many symptoms that are considered “typical” for a certain disease are actually typical only for men, which results in women being diagnosed at later stages of disease than men.

Another healthcare issue that women have to face is gender-biased diagnosing. Even in developed countries, doctors are less likely to take women’s symptoms seriously than that of men. This is why women need to take their health into their own hands and keep up to date on routine health visits, screenings and vaccinations. National Women’s Checkup Day was launched to encourage women to prioritize their health and take medical checkups more seriously.

The best way to observe National Women’s Checkup Day is to schedule your annual physical and any recommended checkups and vaccinations you may have missed for one reason or another. Recommended health screenings for women of all ages include:

• blood pressure screening
• cervical cancer screening
• cholesterol screening
• diabetes screening
• dental exam
• eye exam
• infectious disease screening (chlamydia and gonorrhea for sexually active women up until age 25, hepatitis C and HIV for women of all ages)
• physical exam
• skin cancer check

Women aged 40 to 64 may additionally need breast cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening, lung cancer screening, and osteoporosis screening (bone density test), and women aged 56 or older may also need to have their hearing tested.

Keep in mind that you might not necessarily need all of these screenings. For example, women with no history of high blood pressure and no risk factors for it can check their blood pressure once every 3 to 5 years instead of each year, and women with no risk factors for coronary heart disease typically don’t need cholesterol screening until they turn 45. You should consult your health provider about screenings and vaccinations you may need.

Other ways to observe National Women’s Checkup Day include encouraging the women in your life to schedule their checkups too and spreading the word on social media with the hashtags #NationalWomensCheckupDay and #WomensCheckupDay.

National Women’s Checkup Day isn’t the only observance that focuses on women’s health and wellness. For example, National Women’s Health & Fitness Day is observed annually on the last Wednesday of September. It is a grassroots campaign coordinated by the Health Information Resource Center as part of the National Women’s Health & Fitness Week.