Beyond Reproductive Physiology: Rethinking the Narrative Surrounding Women's Bone Health

Most of what we understand regarding women's bone health, loss of bone mass and the risk of osteoporosis relates to their reproductive physiology, in particular to the effects of pregnancy, lactation and menopause. This perspective has not seen any significant change even with contemporary data revealing a variety of factors such as genetics, physical activity and nutrition that impact peak bone mass attainment. Giving these factors their due consideration would enable us to develop a broader life-course approach for understanding bone health and diseases instead of restricting them solely to reproductive processes in women. This in turn would provide opportunities for strategic implementation of preventive measures aimed at different age groups and mechanisms, as well as for avoiding misconceptions that might lead to diagnostic and therapeutic delays for women suffering from diseases like pregnancy and lactation associated osteoporosis (PLO).