FUTURE

women's hands delicately holding a futuritic purple and white sphereWhat Comes Next in Women’s Health and Blood Clot Awareness

Each year, Blood Clot Awareness Month highlights the importance of recognizing clotting risks and symptoms. At the same time, the annual campaign also invites a broader question: What progress may lie ahead in research, clinical care, and public education surrounding blood clots and women’s health?

Public information campaigns have expanded over the past decade, yet research continues to show that many people remain unfamiliar with the symptoms and risk factors for blood clots. Studies comparing awareness of thrombosis with that of other major health conditions consistently find lower levels of public recognition and understanding.¹

This gap highlights an important reality: Improving outcomes for women affected by blood clots will require more than outreach campaigns alone. It will depend on continued progress in research, clinical care, and education focused on how clotting risk intersects with women’s health.

Expanding Research in Women’s Health

Women’s health is receiving increased attention in medical research, particularly in areas such as maternal health, reproductive medicine, and medication safety.2,3  Within this growing body of work, clotting risk is gaining recognition as an important factor in women’s health decision-making.4 

Pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and hormonal therapies may all influence clotting risk for some women. At the same time, greater attention to maternal health outcomes has increased focus on preventing complications such as venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

As research evolves, clinicians may gain clearer guidance on how to balance clotting risks alongside the benefits of treatments such as hormonal contraception, fertility therapies, and hormone therapy used during menopause.

Advances in genetic testing may also play a role in the future of personalized care. While genetic screening remains a topic of active discussion, research continues to explore how inherited clotting conditions may help inform healthcare decisions when testing is appropriate.

Changing Contraception Conversations

doctor talking to patient at a desk and with a clip boardConversations about contraception are also evolving, particularly among younger women.

Emerging research suggests that many women are reconsidering hormonal contraception and exploring non-hormonal options, often citing concerns about side effects or a desire for greater control over reproductive health decisions.5

Surveys of contraceptive preferences similarly show strong interest in birth control options that do not rely on hormones.6

As these conversations continue, clotting risk may become a more visible part of contraceptive decision-making. For some women, understanding personal risk factors, including family history, underlying health conditions, or previous clotting events, may influence how they weigh contraceptive choices alongside effectiveness, convenience, and other medical considerations.

At the same time, emerging contraceptive technologies, including non-hormonal approaches currently under development, may expand the range of options available to women in the years ahead.

Technology, Research, and the Next Generation of Care

Advances in medical technology may also shape how blood clots are identified and treated in the future.

Artificial intelligence and data-driven research tools are increasingly being used to analyze large clinical datasets, identify patterns in patient outcomes, and accelerate drug development. These technologies may help researchers better understand cardiovascular and thrombotic risks, improve diagnostic accuracy, and support the development of new therapies for thrombosis and clotting disorders.7

At the clinical level, improved integration of medical history and risk factors into electronic medical records may also help clinicians more consistently recognize clotting risk. When factors such as family history, prior clotting events, medication use, and genetic predisposition are more easily visible within patient records, clinicians may be better positioned to identify risk earlier.

Together, these developments suggest that the future of clotting awareness will rely not only on education campaigns but also on advances in clinical practice, research, and technology.

diverse hands touchingA Shared Responsibility Moving Forward

Progress in women’s health and clotting awareness will ultimately depend on the collective efforts of many groups.

Researchers will continue working to improve the understanding of clotting disorders and develop new treatment options. Healthcare professionals will play a central role in translating evolving research into patient care. Advocacy organizations, including the Rowan Foundation, continue to play an important role in connecting research, education, and patient experience.

Patients, families, and caregivers also bring an essential perspective. When individuals share their experiences, ask informed questions, and participate in awareness efforts, they help strengthen the broader conversation around clotting risks and prevention.

Blood clot awareness has advanced over the past decade, but the work is far from finished. Each Blood Clot Awareness Month offers an opportunity not only to reflect on progress but also to renew the shared commitment to education, research, and patient-centered care that can improve outcomes for women in the years ahead.

References
  1. Wendelboe AM, et al. Public awareness of venous thromboembolism compared with awareness of other cardiovascular diseases. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
  2. NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health. Advancing Science for the Health of Women.
  3. CDC. Pregnancy-Related Mortality and Venous Thromboembolism.
  4. World Health Organization. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use.
  5. Cetera GE. Rejecting the contraceptive pill: Times are changing faster than predicted. 2025.
  6. HealthyWomen Survey on Contraceptive Preferences, 2023.
  7. Topol EJ. High-performance medicine: the convergence of human and artificial intelligence. Nature Medicine. 2019.