It’s Women’s Health Week. This Year’s Theme Is “Do It Anyway”

By Dr Prathibha Elizabeth Jose, GP with a clinical interest in women’s health at Carrara Family Practice

From 7 to 11 September 2026, Australia marks Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week, the country’s largest event dedicated to women’s health and wellbeing. This year’s theme is “Do it anyway.”

It’s a simple idea aimed at a very common pattern. Women are often the ones managing everyone else’s health, booking the kids’ appointments, remembering partners’ repeat scripts, checking in on ageing parents, while quietly pushing their own check-up down the list. “Do it anyway” is a nudge to stop waiting for the perfect moment, and just book the appointment, take the walk, or ask the question anyway.

Why this message matters

There’s rarely a convenient time to prioritise your own health. Work is busy, the kids need something, there’s always a reason it can wait another month. The problem is that a lot of women’s health issues, from cervical changes to early perimenopause symptoms to rising blood pressure, don’t wait politely for a quiet week to show up. Small, unglamorous steps taken consistently tend to matter more than waiting for the ideal moment that never quite arrives.

Health checks worth doing anyway

Women’s health looks different at every stage of life, and a lot of it is easy to put off simply because nothing feels urgent yet. Worth checking in on:

• Cervical screening, recommended every five years from age 25
• Breast checks and awareness of what’s normal for you
• Contraception and family planning, reviewed as your needs change
• Perimenopause and menopause symptoms, which are often dismissed as stress or ageing
• Mental health and simply how you’re coping, not just how you’re functioning

If you’re not sure what’s actually due for you, Jean Hailes’ Her Health Check tool is a useful starting point, and your GP can talk through the rest.

You don’t need a reason to book

One thing worth saying plainly: you don’t need a specific complaint to book a women’s health appointment. “Nothing feels wrong, I just haven’t been checked in a while” is a completely valid reason to come in. Waiting for something to feel serious enough often means waiting longer than necessary.

Book during Women’s Health Week

At Carrara Family Practice, our GPs provide women’s health care across every life stage, screenings, contraception, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause, and general preventive health. This Women’s Health Week, consider it your sign to do it anyway.