DPH Encourages SC Women to Focus on Health During National Women’s Health Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 12, 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. — During National Women’s Health Week (May 12-18), the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds women about the importance of routine and preventive care for their mental and physical health. This weeklong recognition, which kicked off on Mother’s Day, also serves as an important time to encourage women and girls to take steps to improve their overall health.  

Led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, the theme for this year’s National Women’s Health Week is “Empowering Women, Cultivating Health: Celebrating Voices, Wellness, and Resilience.” This year’s theme is dedicated to empowering women to take charge of their health journeys.  

“All too often, women put their health on the backburner,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DPH’s deputy director of Health Promotion and Services & Chief Medical Officer. “DPH encourages all women and girls in South Carolina to make sure they are making their physical and mental health a priority, through healthy diet, exercise, making regular visits with their health care provider, and performing routine health maintenance such as undergoing recommended cancer screenings. Women need to also focus on their heart health from an early age, to lower their risk of heart disease.”

DPH stresses the importance of scheduling a well-woman visit at least once a year. A well-woman visit is a time to see your health care provider to:

• Discuss family history, family planning, and personal habits, such as alcohol and tobacco use
• Schedule necessary tests, such as screenings for sexually transmitted infections, diabetes, cancer, and more
• Set health goals, such as being active and maintaining a healthy weight

DPH also encourages women to take proactive steps to protect their heart health. In South Carolina, diseases of the heart were the leading cause of death for women in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available. It is important that women are aware of heart attack symptoms, especially those unique to women. Women are more likely to experience atypical symptoms with a heart attack, such as nausea and vomiting, dizziness, back or jaw pain, and shortness of breath, which should be taken seriously by seeking immediate medical care.

Women’s heart health is influenced by factors such as hormones, pregnancy, and stress. Chronic stress can lead to higher blood pressure and heart rate, higher cholesterol levels, and an increased risk for coronary artery disease, the underlying condition that can lead to a heart attack. The decrease in estrogen levels during menopause also can increase a woman’s risk.

Better overall health can be achieved by taking small steps each day that can have lasting effects and make noticeable improvements on a woman’s physical, mental and emotional health, including lowering the risk of heart disease. Women and girls can implement small, positive changes by:

• Getting active. Only 20.4% of women meet the recommended amount of physical activity for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Try to move more than you sit during the day and aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking.
• Eating healthy. Focus on incorporating more fruits and vegetables and lean meats into your diet. Be mindful of calories, sodium, sugar, cholesterol and fat.  
• Paying attention to mental health, including learning how to handle stress
• Get enough quality sleep, including diagnosing and treating sleep apnea
• Avoiding unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, distracted driving and not wearing a seatbelt.  

Women and girls can find more resources at the National Women’s Health week webpage.  

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