Programs and activities
To achieve our mission, the Office on Women's Health leads a wide range of activities and programs that inform and advance policies, educate the public and health professionals, and support innovative programs.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common mental health condition that can affect anyone. About 1 in 8 women report symptoms of PPD in the year after giving birth. While it can feel hard or lonely, support for PPD is available.
Beginning at age 30, the body naturally starts to lose 3–5% of muscle mass per decade. If muscle loss worsens, it can advance to a condition called Sarcopenia.
An effort to increase awareness of the unique health needs of active duty and veteran women and to address the education and training needs of the health professionals who care for them
An education campaign to inform breast cancer patients anticipating mastectomy about the availability and coverage of breast reconstruction and prostheses if they choose that option
An online system that provides state-level health data by sex, and race and ethnicity, to inform policies and programs
Innovative methods of blood pressure monitoring and follow-up in women during pregnancy and/or postpartum.
A campaign for young adults and their health care providers focused on improving young adult HPV vaccination rates in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.
A campaign for African-American women and their families to learn more about the health benefits of breastfeeding
A campaign for women about the seven most common symptoms of a heart attack and to encourage them to call 911 when symptoms arise
The White House has released the Biden-Harris Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, a whole-of-government approach to combatting maternal mortality and morbidity. For far too many mothers, complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum can lead to devastating health outcomes — including hundreds of deaths each year. Check out the fact sheet.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women's Health (OWH) initiated an $8 million nationwide contract with Premier, Inc. to improve maternal health data and create a network of at least 200 hospitals to deploy clinical, evidence-based best practices in maternity care.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Office on Women's Health (OWH) is seeking innovative ways to increase breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates and decrease disparities among breastfeeding mothers in the United States.
An OWH-supported training for health care professionals to learn how to recognize and effectively respond to victims of human trafficking
An online resource that provides businesses with cost-effective tips and solutions to support nursing moms at work
An effort to examine the unique prevention, treatment, and recovery issues for women who misuse opioids, which builds on HHS's comprehensive five-point strategy to combat the opioid crisis
- OWH grants to states to address opioid misuse in women and girls
- How OWH is fighting the Opioid Epidemic (August 2017)
- OWH and CDC Webinar: Addressing the Unique Challenges of Opioid Use Disorder in Women (January 2017)
- Neonatal Abstinence Report (PDF, 262 KB) (December 2021)
- Final report: Opioid Use, Misuse, and Overdose in Women (PDF, 946KB) (July 2017)
- White paper (PDF, 1.18 MB) (December 2016)