Every May, beginning on Mother’s Day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office on Women’s Health (OWH) leads National Women’s Health Week (NWHW). This year, NWHW takes place from May 11-17. This observance aims to highlight women’s health issues and priorities, and to encourage women of all ages to prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Prioritizing Women’s Health: Caring for Mind and Body
National Women’s Health Week 2025 encourages women to focus on their whole health—mind and body. This year’s theme emphasizes the importance of caring for physical, mental, and emotional well-being at every stage of life.
The 2025 observance highlights three important areas of women’s health:
By learning more about these topics and talking with a health care provider, women can take meaningful steps to understand and manage their health— both now and in the future.
Key Facts
Menopause
- More than 1 million women in the United States experience menopause each year.
- The average age for menopause is 52, and most women reach it between 45 and 55.
Mental Health
- Women are nearly twice as likely as men to experience major depression.
- Around 1 in 5 women experience mental health issues during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth.
- Girls who use social media often feel sadness and hopelessness much more than girls who don’t use social media frequently.
Cancer
- Cancer causes 1 in 6 deaths among women.
- Women younger than 50 are nearly twice as likely to develop cancer as men in the same age range.
Get To Know Your Pelvic Floor
As part of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Women’s Health’s Knowledge and News on Women’s Health (KNOWH) outreach initiative, this year’s NWHW theme is “Know Your Pelvic Floor.” The FDA is promoting the week with a focus on pelvic floor health, including information on types of pelvic floor disorders, symptoms, treatment options, and proactive steps to strengthen the pelvic floor, according to the FDA.
Pelvic floor health is an important part of a woman’s overall well-being. Approximately 1 in 4 women will experience a pelvic floor disorder (PFD). FDA OWH encourages women to learn more about their pelvic floor —before issues arise—and use proactive steps to strengthen their pelvic floor.
The pelvic floor plays an important role in bladder and bowel control, sexual function, and organ support. FDA OWH’s Knowledge and News on Women’s Health (KNOWH) blog post: What Women Need to Know About Their Pelvic Floor highlights the importance of learning more about the pelvic floor, including common pelvic floor disorders, risk factors, symptoms of different types of pelvic floor disorders, and tips on how to strengthen and maintain a strong and healthy pelvic floor.
This NWHW, take time to Know Your Pelvic Floor. It’s never too early or too late to strengthen your pelvic floor. A strong, healthy pelvic floor provides the foundation for movement, stability, and comfort.
Get Involved and Learn More
Together, we can encourage women to take charge of their health today and in the future.
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