Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is observed throughout September, bringing attention to ovarian cancer and the impact it has on individuals and families. The month encourages open conversations about symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and the importance of supporting those affected by the disease.

Throughout September, people and organizations help raise awareness by sharing reliable information, honoring loved ones, supporting patients and survivors, and promoting research toward better detection and care. It is also a meaningful opportunity to listen, learn, and stand with the ovarian cancer community while encouraging anyone with concerning or persistent symptoms to speak with a healthcare professional.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is observed throughout September to increase public understanding of ovarian cancer, support those affected by the disease, and encourage attention to symptoms and risk factors. Its development reflects the work of patients, survivors, families, physicians, and advocacy organizations that sought greater recognition for a cancer often described as difficult to detect in its early stages. Before the observance became widely recognized, ovarian cancer received less public attention than several other cancers, despite its serious impact on women and their families.

The observance grew out of organized advocacy during the late twentieth century, when national and community groups began coordinating education, fundraising, and public-policy efforts. Organizations such as the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition helped establish a stronger national voice for patients and survivors. Their campaigns emphasized that persistent symptoms—including abdominal or pelvic discomfort, bloating, difficulty eating, and urinary changes—should be discussed with a health-care professional, while also communicating that symptoms alone cannot establish a diagnosis.

Over time, September became associated with the color teal, which serves as the principal awareness color for ovarian cancer. Teal ribbons, public buildings illuminated in teal, educational events, survivor gatherings, charity walks, and social-media campaigns have all helped make the observance more visible. These activities have also broadened its purpose: beyond raising general awareness, they promote research funding, improved treatment, support services, genetic counseling when appropriate, and more inclusive communication about the people affected by ovarian cancer.

Culturally, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month provides a shared period for remembrance, solidarity, and advocacy. Survivors and families use it to honor people who have died from the disease, while medical and nonprofit organizations use the month to distribute reliable information and challenge misconceptions about gynecologic cancers. Its continuing significance lies in connecting personal experiences with wider efforts to improve early recognition, expand treatment options, and ensure that ovarian cancer remains part of the public health conversation throughout September.