Message from the Associate Commissioner
Dear Women’s Health Colleagues,
Each May we celebrate National Women’s Health Week (NWHW). It is a special time of year where FDA Office of Women’s Health (OWH) spotlights key health topics to encourage all women to prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. May is also National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.
This year NWHW runs May 12-18, 2024, and FDA OWH’s theme is “Know Your Bones.” Bone health is vital to our overall physical health at every age. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that weakens bones and increases risk of fractures. Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, more than 8 million (80%) are women.
In observance of National Women's Health Week and National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention month, OWH will host a free virtual public webinar titled: Osteoporosis: A perspective for 2024 presented by Marcella Donovan Walker, MD, MS. Professor of Medicine at Columbia university Medical Center on May 16 at 12 PM ET. This lecture will discuss current approaches to assessing bone health, as well as preventing and treating osteoporosis. We invite you to register to attend here and encourage you to learn more about OWH’s National Women’s Health Week activities and resources in the section below.
It’s never too early to Know Your Bones to help lower your risk of developing Osteoporosis in the future and if you already have osteoporosis, you can still manage and protect your bone health. Learn more by reading our May Knowledge and News on Women’s Health (KNOWH) blog which highlights the importance of prioritizing bone health for women and shares tips for maintaining bone health. Please also share our Osteoporosis fact sheet with your communities.
Sincerely,
Kaveeta P. Vasisht, M.D., Pharm.D.
Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health
Director, Office of Women’s Health (OWH)
 
This National Women’s Health Week check out OWH activities and learn more about osteoporosis and bone health:
- Visit the National Women’s Health Week webpage for NWHW activities and resources.
- Register to attend the Health Regulatory Series Webinar titled Osteoporosis: A Perspective for 2024 on May 16 at 12 PM ET. The lecture offers continuing education (CE) credits and will summarize the current approach to assessing bone health, as well as preventing and treating osteoporosis with a focus on postmenopausal women. Registration is required.
- Read the OWH Knowledge and News on Women’s Health (KNOWH) blog: Know Your Bones which highlights the importance of prioritizing bone health for women and shares tips for maintaining bone health.
- Check out our updated Osteoporosis webpage and redesigned Osteoporosis fact sheet available for download and printing in English and Spanish.
- Download our NWHW 2024 digital social media partner toolkit for sample messages for X, Facebook and Blogs to promote NWHW and share resources focused on osteoporosis
- Follow us on X (Twitter) @FDAWomen throughout NWHW 2024 to learn more about osteoporosis and stay connected.
Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) NWHW webpage to learn more about their theme for this year: “Empowering Women, Cultivating Health: Celebrating Voices, Wellness, and Resilience.”
  Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disease that occurs during pregnancy. May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month and this year’s theme is “Predict Prevent Prevail.” While the exact cause of preeclampsia is unknown, it can occur when someone who is pregnant and previously had normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure* and protein in their urine or other problems after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
A pregnant person who has chronic hypertension can also develop preeclampsia. Some women have no symptoms of preeclampsia, which is why it is important to visit your health care team regularly, especially during pregnancy. In rare cases, preeclampsia can happen after you have given birth, and this is known as postpartum preeclampsia. Learn the symptoms of preeclampsia and your risk factors and talk with your health care provider if you have questions.
FDA Office of Women’s Health has pregnancy resources to help you make good choices about medicines, foods, and other products for you and your baby. You can also learn more about pregnancy exposure registries and how to volunteer to participate in a study to help health care providers learn more about how medicines or vaccines used during pregnancy affect women and their babies. Visit our main pregnancy webpage for more resources and to download our pregnancy social media toolkit to share information with your community and patients.
 Women’s health news and updates
• FDA approves new treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by susceptible isolates of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Uncomplicated UTIs are bacterial infections of the bladder in females with no structural abnormalities of their urinary tract. Approximately one-half of all women experience at least one UTI in their lifetime.
• You can prevent heart disease. Yes, YOU!
It's never too early for women to start thinking about their heart health. About 1 in 16 women age 20 and older have coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease and 75% of women have one or more risk factors. If you are in your 40s, 30s, even 20s, you can be at risk for heart disease. The Heart Truth® has resources to encourage younger women to take action now to protect their hearts and reduce their risk for heart disease by sharing these resources.
More updates from around FDA
Visit FDA Meetings, Conferences and Workshops to find out about available meetings.
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