Female Athletes Through the Lifespan: Clinical Considerations and a Call for Comprehensive Sports Medicine Healthcare

Females across the lifespan continue to engage in sport and fitness, continuously redefining the boundaries of previously recognized athletic potential. However, this rise in participation has been accompanied by a disproportionate prevalence of injuries and health-related conditions that uniquely affect female athletes and active females. Despite these trends, resources tailored to the needs of active females remain limited, particularly as females transition through key life stages, such as puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and post-menopause. Females in the United States are left to traverse a disjointed healthcare system in hopes of receiving proper care, which can delay diagnosis and treatment. This review highlights primary injuries and other conditions that impact the active female, as well as calls for comprehensive sports medicine care.