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About IDPH

Women's Health

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Office of Women's Health and Family Services

Vision

The Illinois Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health and Family Services (OWHFS) envisions a future free of health disparities, where all Illinoisans have access to continuous high-quality health care.

Mission

OWHFS strives to improve the health outcomes of all Illinoisans by providing preventative education and services, increasing health care access, using data to ensure evidence-based practice and policy, and empowering families.

Illinois ranks sixth in the nation in population, with 12.7 million people. In 2022, there were 124,820 births in Illinois hospitals. Illinois has 102 counties of which 92 are rural.

OWHFS is 1 of 8 main programmatic offices within IDPH. Formerly called the Office of Women’s Health, OWHFS’ responsibilities expanded in July 2013 to include the Maternal and Child Health Title V Block Grant. OWHFS’ duties include overseeing the health and services for women and girls throughout their lifespan as well as family services that address the health and well-being of pregnant women, infants, children, and adolescents through Child and Adolescent Health, Perinatal Health, and School Health programs.

OWHFS addresses breast and cervical health, heart disease and lifestyle choices, teen pregnancy and subsequent pregnancy concerns, infant mortality, school health, and family planning.

OWHFS administers the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) and the WISEWOMAN Program (IWP). The statewide IBCCP offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to women between the ages of 21 and 64 who have low incomes and no health insurance. The IWP is designed to help women enrolled in IBCCP reduce their risk for heart disease and live a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Education programs funded by OWHFS are offered through local health departments, not-for-profit community agencies, and schools.

OWHFS recognizes breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and sometimes affects men. Awareness and education regarding early detection need to be increased in every community, especially for low-income, underserved, and uninsured women, with special emphasis on reaching those geographically or culturally isolated, older, or members of racial/ethnic minorities. The Ticket for the Cure Community Grant Program is designed to address these needs. OWHFS receives funds from the sale of Ticket for the Cure instant scratch-off lottery tickets to help fund this program.

Why Women’s Health?

Traditionally, medical education and research related to women’s health have focused on reproductive health. Yet today’s women live nearly half of their lives outside their reproductive years.

While living longer than men, women are not necessarily living better and are more vulnerable to certain chronic conditions like osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and depression.

Women have unique medical needs because of their female physiology, reproductive ability, and related hormonal influences. As a result, women demonstrate different symptoms for certain conditions and often respond to treatments differently than men.

Until recently, many studies on detecting, treating, and preventing disease were conducted on men only. These results were generalized to women without proof that they applied to females in the same way.

Resources

Publications