If you suffer from one of the following women’s health issues, know that you are not alone.

1. 1 in 5 women in the United States suffers from heavy menstrual bleeding, lasting more than 7 days. If you are experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding, talk to your doctor about possible causes and treatments for this.
2. 12% of women in the United States experience infertility. Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive or carry a baby to full-term after one year of unprotected sex.  While doctors can discuss treatment for infertility with you, there are things you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant by cutting back on alcohol, not smoking, decreasing physical and emotional stress, and ensuring that you are at a healthy body weight.
3. In the United States, 21.2 million women between the ages of 14-49 have Bacterial Vaginosis, an infection in which too much of a certain bacteria causes an imbalance in the vagina. Having BV can increase your chances of contracting an STD.  Anyone can contract BV but it is more common in women who are sexually active.
4. The amount of women who suffer from opioid addiction and who die from overdose has increased substantially in the last 10 years. Women are more likely to have chronic pain and use opioids for longer periods than men.
5. Sex trafficking is a huge public health concern and victims are most likely to be women and girls. The CDC offers ideas for what communities and groups can do to stop sex trafficking here: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/trafficking.html#needtoknow
6. The most common cause for disability in women is arthritis. 50% of women in the United States older than 65 suffer from a disability.
7. Asthma affects more women than men but more boys than girls. If you believe you are suffering from asthma, talk to your doctor about creating an asthma action plan and identifying your asthma triggers.

Article adapted from: https://www.cdc.gov/features/7things-womens-health/index.html