Women’s Health Month 2026
This May, celebrate National Women’s Health Month by learning more about health issues that are more likely to affect women. Plus, learn ways that you can stay healthy, while preventing diseases and chronic conditions.
Schedule your CT scan.
National Women’s Health Month Is in May
According to the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, women’s health month has evolved into a full week (beginning on Mother’s Day, May 10) that focuses on the health needs of women at every stage of life. This year’s theme is “Prevention, Innovation, and Impact: A New Era in Women’s Health.”
National Women’s Health Month 2026 will be focusing on the scientific advances in treating women’s health issues, the role of early detection and prevention, and the role that female-specific hormones have on women’s health over their lifespan.
Keep reading to learn more about how your biology may affect your predisposition for certain health conditions.
What Health Conditions and Diseases are Common in Women?
Osteoporosis
Osteopososis is a condition in the bones that causes them to lose bone mineral density, which leads to weaker bones that are more prone to breaks. Because osteoporosis does not usually cause any symptoms in its early stages, it’s important to discuss your risk factors with your doctor and consider a bone density scan.
While everyone is at risk of developing osteoporosis (especially as we age), due to smaller bones and hormonal differences, women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. This is particularly true after menopause.
Heart Disease
Unfortunately, heart disease is often overlooked in women, despite heart disease being the leading cause of death for American women, causing as many as one in five female deaths.
One of the challenges in diagnosing heart disease for women is that underlying health conditions, such as high blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors, often go undetected or are not well controlled.
The following are lifestyle factors and health conditions that increase your risk of heart disease:
- High blood pressure
- High LDL cholesterol
- Excessive stress
- Depression
- Being overweight or obese
- A lack of physical activity
- An unhealthy diet
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Smoking
Consider discussing your risk factors with your doctor and deciding whether a heart scan and calcium score test could benefit you.
Breast Cancer
While anyone can develop cancer in their breast tissue, it’s way more common in women with as many as one in eight women developing invasive breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
Regularly checking your breasts for any changes and getting regular screenings, such as mammograms, is vital for early detection and treatment.
Cervical Cancer
Due to preventative screening, the cervical cancer death rate has dropped by more than 50% since the mid-1970’s. This further highlights the importance of preventative screenings.
Consider celebrating Women’s Health Week by scheduling a full physical exam, ask your doctor about preventative screenings for cervical cancer, and discuss whether you have risk factors for other types of cancers affecting the female reproductive system.
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases are diseases that happen when your immune system becomes overactive and attacks healthy tissue. Researchers are still unsure why, but women are way more likely to be diagnosed with autoimmune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases, than men. In fact, roughly four out of five of the 50 million Americans who live with an autoimmune disease are women.
What Steps Should Women Take To Prevent Disease?
While there is an unavoidable genetic component to a person’s predisposition to certain diseases, maintaining a healthy lifestyle does decrease a woman’s risk of nearly every disease.
This Women’s Health Month, consider celebrating by making strides in improving your health in the following areas.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Following the Mediterranean diet as closely as possible is the best way (for most) to maintain a healthy weight, keep the cardiovascular system in tip-top condition, and to prevent chronic conditions and diseases.
The Mediterranean diet focuses on:
- Eating lots of fruit and vegetables (three servings of each, per day).
- Incorporating whole grains into your diet, such as whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. (three to six servings per day).
- Getting healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
- Incorporating three servings of healthy nuts and seeds per week.
- Incorporate three servings of legumes and beans per week.
- Eating three servings of fish per week.
- Eating poultry instead of red meat (three ounces or less, per day).
- Switching to reduced or non-fat dairy products (limit to one serving per day).
- Limiting egg yolks to one per day (egg whites are fine).
You should also avoid:
- Red meat
- Processed meat
- Salt
- Added sugars
- Full fat dairy products (butter, cream cheese, etc.)
- Saturated fat and trans fat
- Alcohol
- Baked goods and desserts
Find Ways To Be More Active
Getting 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity per week keeps the heart healthy and reduces your risk of other diseases. Being active also helps control your weight, improves your mood, and improves sleep quality.
Make Time for Rest and Relaxation
Women who struggle with their mental health (namely with anxiety and depression) are more likely to experience heart disease and other diseases. Also, people who do not get enough quality sleep are more likely to experience heart disease, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.
Make sure to make time in your day to unwind and get at least seven hours of sleep every night.
Avoid Unhealthy Behaviors
Research indicates that certain behaviors can significantly contribute to a person’s risk of disease.
Therefore, it is best to avoid:
- Smoking
- Alcohol (especially in excess)
- Not scheduling preventative health care appointments
Make Early Detection a Priority
Receiving regular preventative healthcare screenings is vital to longevity. Regularly seeing your doctor (at least once a year) is the best way to stay on top of health conditions.
Checking in with your doctor also ensures you’re on top of your recommended health screenings and cancer screenings, which allows patients to catch problems before they cause serious damage to the body.
Staying on top of recommended cancer screenings gives patients the best chance of catching cancer while it is treatable.
Preventative Scans Available in Las Vegas [GU1]
Preventative Diagnostic Center offers the following low-dose CT scans:
Why Choose Preventative Diagnostic Center?
The SOMATOMgo.All CT scanners used by Preventative Diagnostic Center allow for the lowest dose of radiation, with the best images possible. Here you will find safe, convenient, and confidential preventative scans at affordable prices.
At Preventative Diagnostic Center, you can expect:
- Compassionate care
- State-of-the-art equipment
- Fast, non-invasive scans
- Low-radiation CT scans
- Scans not requiring a doctor’s referral
- Comprehensive report on scans from a board-certified radiologist
How Does Payment at Preventative Diagnostic Center Work?
Currently, Preventative Diagnostic Center does not accept any insurance plans. However, we accept payments made by FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account) accounts, in most cases.
Be sure to consult your FSA/HSA plan and contact us to ensure your procedure will be covered before your appointment. Preventative Diagnostic Center also offers financing options that may help. Contact us to learn more about the financing options that may be available to you.
Celebrate National Women’s Health Month by considering a CT scan and booking an appointment with your doctor for a comprehensive checkup.
Book your CT scan.