Men and women have many of the same health issues, but their symptoms may be completely different. For example, heart attacks in women may be “silent” (without the chest pain that often heralds a heart attack in a man). Some medical problems are more common in women than in men (depression, obesity, osteoarthritis), other conditions such as menopause and pregnancy are unique to women. Lifestyle factors, especially smoking, affect a woman’s chance of developing diseases such as lung cancer that were previously thought to be more likely in men.

Health care for women includes the entire spectrum of a woman’s life, not just pregnancy and childbirth. Medical problems can affect women and men differently. Some serious medical issues, such as cardiac disease and heart attack, may be overlooked because symptoms in many women are not clear-cut. Many research studies in the past did not include women participants; therefore, conclusions from those studies may not be valid for making health care decisions about women. At each stage of a woman’s life, there are important preventive health care steps to follow in order to provide early detection of medical problems, or to prevent them entirely. Simple steps include healthy eating, regular exercise, and medical checkups. It is important to be informed about women’s health issues and discuss them thoroughly with your doctor.