Women's health

Part of a series on
Women's health
Symbol of women's health
Reproductive and sexual health Reproductive health Reproductive tract External female genitalia Clitoris Clitoral hood Labia minora Labia majora Vagina Cervix Uterus Fallopian tube Ovary Reproductive system disease Maternal health Pregnancy Unintended pregnancy Gravidity and parity Obstetrics Obstetrics and gynaecology Antenatal care Adolescent pregnancy Complications of pregnancy Hyperemesis gravidarum Ectopic pregnancy Miscarriage Obstetrical bleeding Gestational diabetes Hypertension Preeclampsia Eclampsia Childbirth Midwifery Preterm birth Multiple births Oxytocin Obstructed labor Cesarian section Retained placenta Obstetrical fistulae Vesicovaginal fistula Rectovaginal fistula Postpartum care Maternal deaths Perinatal mortality Stillbirths Abortion Mother-to-child transmission Sterilization Compulsory sterilization Reproductive life plan Infertility Childlessness Assisted reproductive technology In vitro fertilization Parenting Adoption Fostering Contraception & Family planning Safe sex Intrauterine devices Oral contraceptives Hormonal contraception Tubal ligation Male contraceptive Condoms Contraceptive prevalence Contraceptive security Planned parenthood Menstruation Menarche Menstrual cycle Menstrual aids Tampons Sanitary pads Dysmenorrhea Menorrhagia Amenorrhoea Menopause Hormone replacement therapy Sexual health Sexually transmitted infections HIV Human papilloma virus HPV vaccine Pelvic inflammatory disease Female genital cutting Clitoridectomy Infibulation Child marriage Forced marriage Polygamy Sexual intercourse Orgasm Dyspareunia Other Sex differences Sex education Puberty Breast health Gynaecological disorders Vaginitis
Non-reproductive health Violence against women Domestic violence Intimate partner violence Misogyny Sexual harassment Sexual assault Rape Femicide Gender discrimination Non-communicable diseases Gynecologic cancer Lung cancer Breast cancer Uterine cancer Endometrial cancer Cervical cancer Papanicolaou test Ovarian cancer Cardiovascular disease Dementia Alzheimer's disease Bone health Osteoporosis Hip fracture Autoimmune disease Anaemia Other Mental health Anxiety Depression Major depressive disorder Urinary tract Urethra Urinary tract infection Urinary incontinence
Sociocultural factors Poverty Disadvantaged Gender equality Healthcare inequality Gender disparities in health Social determinants of health Reproductive justice Women's empowerment
Politics, research & advocacy United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women International Day of the Girl Child Commission on the Status of Women UN Women United States Office of Research on Women's Health Women's Health Initiative International Center for Research on Women Nurses' Health Study Black Women's Health Study Cartwright Inquiry Society for Women's Health Research
Women's health by country Women's health in China Women's health in Ethiopia Women's health in India (Family planning) Birth control in the United States Reproductive health in the United States
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Women's health differs from that of men's health in many unique ways. Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organisation as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".^[1] Often treated as simply women's reproductive health, many groups argue for a broader definition pertaining to the overall health of women, better expressed as "The health of women". These differences are further exacerbated in developing countries where women, whose health includes both their risks and experiences, are further disadvantaged.

While the rates of the leading causes of death, cardiovascular disease, cancer and lung disease, are similar in women and men, women have different experiences. Lung cancer has overtaken all other types of cancer as the leading cause of cancer related death in women, followed by breast cancer, colorectal, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers. While smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, amongst nonsmoking women the risk of developing cancer is three times greater than among nonsmoking men. Despite this, breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women in developed countries, and is one of the major chronic diseases of women, while cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers in developing countries, associated with human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection. HPV vaccine together with screening offers the promise of controlling these diseases. Other important health issues for women include cardiovascular disease, depression, dementia, osteoporosis and anemia.

In 176 out of 178 countries for which records are available, there is a gender gap in favor of women in life expectancy. In Western Europe, this has been the case at least as far back as 1750.^[2] Gender remains an important social determinant of health, since women's health is influenced not just by their biology but also by conditions such as poverty, employment, and family responsibilities. Women have long been disadvantaged in many respects such as social and economic power which restricts their access to the necessities of life including health care, and the greater the level of disadvantage, such as in developing countries, the greater adverse impact on health.

Women's reproductive and sexual health has a distinct difference compared to men's health. Even in developed countries, pregnancy and childbirth are associated with substantial risks to women with maternal mortality accounting for more than a quarter of a million deaths per year, with large gaps between the developing and developed countries. Comorbidity from other non-reproductive diseases such as cardiovascular disease contribute to both the mortality and morbidity of pregnancy, including preeclampsia. Sexually transmitted infections have serious consequences for women and infants, with mother-to-child transmission leading to outcomes such as stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and pelvic inflammatory disease leading to infertility. In addition, infertility from many other causes, birth control, unplanned pregnancy, rape and the struggle for access to abortion create other burdens for women.