The International Day of Action for Women's Health is celebrated annually on the 28th May. The institutional celebration of this day dates back to 1984, when the IV International Women and Health Meeting was held in the Netherlands, preceding the V International Women and Health Meeting conducted three years later in 1987 in Costa Rica. At this later meeting, organized by the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights, May 28th was proposed and approved as a reference date for reflection and awareness and recognition of women's rights to health and safe motherhood. 

Currently, the celebration is intended to alert the population in general and women in particular to the inequalities that still exist between men and women regarding access to health care and the importance of respecting women´s sexual and reproductive health, namely the specific diseases and their symptoms, at the different stages of a woman's life. 

The respect for our own health begins with the attention and priority that we dedicate to ourselves, even in busy days, so mind your body and be aware of all the signs it gives you. These signs are crucial, whether it is a feeling of tiredness that requires you to slow down, sudden weight gain suggesting the need to reinforce your physical activity, or abdominal discomfort prompting you to review your diet or a frequent nuisance which requires you to book a gynecology appointment, for example. 

Useful advice: Carry a small notebook with you at all times, where you can keep a regular record of all the information and care relating your own health: the diseases, symptoms presented, medical appointments and scheduled routine exams, the contact details of all your doctors as well as other health professionals that follow the medication that you take, the information about your menstrual cycle and the key dates for screenings. It is very important that you update this information regularly and share it to your doctor. To be aware of all the signs and to be actively involved in your own health is essential for a safer, healthier and happier life!