TL;DR
- May is Women’s Health Month, a reminder that proactive care at every stage of life leads to better long-term outcomes.
- Women’s health needs shift significantly across three key phases: reproductive years, perimenopause, and menopause.
- Each phase brings its own questions, challenges, and opportunities to invest in your wellbeing.
- Almara Women’s Health Clinic has 11 locations across the Twin Cities metro, including Plymouth, with board-certified physicians ready to support you at every stage.
What Is Women’s Health Month and Why Does It Matter?
Every May, Women’s Health Month is an opportunity to talk about something that deserves attention all year round: the importance of women taking their health seriously, asking questions, and seeking care proactively rather than waiting until something goes wrong.
If you’re reading this, take it as a sign to reflect and read the signs that your body is sending you. Women’s health is never static and every woman’s experience is unique. It evolves across decades, and what matters most at 25 looks very different from what matters most at 45 or 60.
At Almara, our board-certified physicians work with women at every stage of life across our clinics. This Women’s Health Month, we want to talk about what proactive women’s health awareness actually looks like at three key phases of life and what you need to look out for.
How Should Women Manage Their Health During the Reproductive Years (Ages 19–40)?
For many women in this phase, the assumption is that youth means health and that doctor visits are only necessary when something feels wrong. But these are some of the most important years for building a strong health foundation.
What happens during this phase:
- Questions about fertility and what to expect if trying to conceive
- Confusion around things like ovarian cysts, irregular cycles, or hormonal symptoms
- Uncertainty about what is normal versus what is worth investigating
Why proactive care matters here:
This is the long phase where women often come face-to-face with things they do not fully understand and either dismiss them or spiral into worry without the right information. Regular checkups and a willingness to ask questions you might feel uneasy bringing up are what make this phase count.
If pregnancy is something you are considering, having a conversation with your provider before you start trying can make a real difference. Understanding your baseline health, addressing anything worth looking at in advance, and knowing what to expect reduces anxiety and sets you up for a smoother experience.
Pro Tip: Women’s health awareness during the reproductive years is about finding and building a relationship with a healthcare provider who can give you tailored advice.
What Is Perimenopause and Why Do So Many Women Overlook It? (Ages 40–50)
The years between 40 and 50 are often the busiest of a woman’s life. If you’re working, your career is probably stable yet demanding. Family responsibilities may also increase. Personal health, somewhat predictably, slides toward the bottom of the list.
This is exactly why perimenopause is one of the most underserved phases of women’s health.
Symptoms of perimenopause:
| What Women Feel | What It Might Mean |
| Persistent fatigue | Hormonal shifts affecting energy regulation |
| Mood changes or irritability | Fluctuating estrogen and progesterone |
| Sleep disruption | Hormonal changes affecting sleep cycles |
| Irregular periods | The body beginning its transition |
| Feeling overwhelmed or stretched thin | Often compounded by not prioritizing self-care |
These experiences are frequently normalized or dismissed by women and those around them. They get written off as stress when they may actually be signs the body is changing in ways worth paying attention to.
How to take care of your health in your forties:
- Show up to appointments and describe what you are actually experiencing, honestly
- Ask your provider what falls within normal range and what deserves a closer look
- Start thinking about the decades ahead, not just the present
- Make intentional choices around nutrition, exercise, and stress management now
The lifestyle decisions made in your forties have a direct and meaningful impact on how the transition into menopause feels and on how well you age beyond it. This decade is not too early to think about longevity. In many ways it is exactly the right time.
What Should Women Know About Menopause and Healthy Aging After 50?
Menopause is often framed as an ending. A more accurate and more empowering framing is that it is a transition into a phase of life that still has a great deal to offer, and one that goes considerably better with the right support and information.
The health priorities during menopause:
- Bone health. As estrogen levels dip, the risk of bone loss increases. Protecting bone density and muscle mass now has real consequences for quality of life and independence well into your seventies and beyond.
- Strength and fall prevention. Core strength and stability become genuine priorities, not abstract ones. The goal is staying strong and mobile for the long term.
- Hormone therapy conversations. Many women have outdated assumptions about whether hormone therapy is right for them. Clinical understanding in this area has evolved significantly. A conversation with your provider is the only reliable way to know where you actually stand.
- Ongoing wellness habits. Sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress management all continue to matter and arguably matter more than ever at this stage.
Questions to ask your gynecologist during menopause:
- Am I a candidate for hormone therapy, and if not, what are my alternatives?
- What should I be doing now to protect my bone density?
- How do I build and maintain muscle mass through this transition?
- What screening tests should I be prioritizing at this stage?
Pro Tip: Menopause is not something you tolerate. With the right care team and a proactive mindset, it can be a phase where women feel in control of their health.
Women’s Health Month in Plymouth: Small Steps for a Big Difference
The importance of women’s health does not need a dedicated month to justify it, but May is as good a time as any to take a step you have been putting off.
| Life Stage | One Action to Take This Month |
| Reproductive years (19 to 40) | Book a well-woman checkup or preconception consult |
| Perimenopause (40 to 50) | Talk to your provider about what you have been brushing off |
| Menopause and beyond (50+) | Ask about bone health, hormone therapy options, and longevity planning |
Almara Women’s Health has 10 locations across the Twin Cities metro, including Plymouth, staffed by board-certified physicians who bring clinical expertise and a genuinely patient-centered approach to every visit. Whatever phase of life you are in, there is a conversation worth having.
Reach out at info@helloalmara.com or find your nearest location to get started.
FAQs
Women’s Health Month is observed every May. It encourages women to take a proactive approach to their wellbeing, prioritize preventive care, and have open conversations with their healthcare providers.
Perimenopause is the transitional phase in the forties when hormone levels begin to shift and symptoms like irregular cycles, mood changes, and sleep disruption may begin to present. A woman is considered to have entered menopause after experiencing a full year without menstruation, most often around age 50.
Yes, many women report feeling better once they reach menopause. Many of the uncomfortable symptoms leading up to that point (such as hot flashes and mood swings) may slowly begin to subside as hormone levels stabilize.
