: Women’s Health & Patient Safety
Women's health refers to a state of complete physical health, mental health, and social well-being, as experienced by women, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Some of these relate to structures such as female genitalia and breasts or to conditions caused by hormones specific to, or most notable in, females (e.g. menstruation, birth control, maternal health, child birth, menopause, PCOS and breast cancer). Some conditions that affect both men and women such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, also manifest differently in women. Women's health issues also include medical situations in which women face problems not directly related to their biology, such as gender-differentiated access to medical treatment and other socioeconomic factors. Worldwide, women and girls are at greater risk of HIV/AIDS – a phenomenon associated with unsafe sexual activity that is often consensual. The global market for women’s health therapeutics was worth nearly $18.3 billion in 2012. The market is expected to increase from nearly $19 billion in 2013 to nearly $22.5 billion by 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% for the five-year period, 2013 to 2018.