March is one of the busiest months on the health awareness calendar, with nationally recognized campaigns covering colorectal cancer, kidney disease, endometriosis, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, developmental disabilities, bleeding disorders, and nutrition. Each observance carries its own ribbon color, screening recommendations, and advocacy goals. Here’s what you should know about the major causes highlighted every March.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Colorectal cancer is the focus of one of March’s highest-profile campaigns, represented by a dark blue ribbon. The push centers on screening because early detection dramatically changes outcomes: when colorectal cancer is caught while still localized, the five-year survival rate is about 91%. Once it has spread to distant organs, that number drops to roughly 17%.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine screening starting at age 45 for all adults, continuing through age 75. Screening doesn’t have to mean a colonoscopy. Options include a simple annual stool test (called a FIT test), a stool DNA test every one to three years, or a colonoscopy every 10 years. The point of March’s awareness push is straightforward: most people eligible for screening haven’t done it, and the gap between early and late detection is enormous.
Endometriosis Awareness Month
Endometriosis, marked by a yellow ribbon, affects an estimated 1% to nearly 9% of women of reproductive age. Among women with chronic pelvic pain, the prevalence rises as high as 71%. Despite being common, it remains one of the most frequently missed diagnoses in medicine. The average delay from symptom onset to diagnosis ranges from 6 to 11 years, according to AHRQ data.
That delay happens for several reasons: symptoms like painful periods, pelvic pain, and pain during sex overlap with other conditions, and many women are told their pain is normal. March’s awareness efforts focus on closing that diagnostic gap by encouraging both patients and clinicians to take chronic pelvic pain seriously and pursue evaluation sooner.
National Kidney Month
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 1 in 10 U.S. adults, roughly 37 million people. The two biggest drivers are diabetes and high blood pressure. About 38% of adults with diabetes and 21% of adults with high blood pressure have some degree of CKD. Even prediabetes raises risk, with 11% of adults in that category also showing signs of kidney damage.
What makes CKD particularly dangerous is that it often produces no symptoms until the kidneys are significantly impaired. National Kidney Month encourages people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney problems to get a simple blood or urine test that can catch declining kidney function early, when lifestyle changes and treatment can slow progression.
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness
MS awareness in March highlights a condition that most commonly appears between ages 20 and 40, often striking people in the early stages of their careers and family life. The first signs of a relapse typically develop over 24 to 48 hours and can include loss of vision in one eye, sudden weakness in an arm or leg, or a rising numbness that starts in the legs and moves upward.
These episodes usually last a few days to a few weeks, and about 80% to 100% of the symptoms improve afterward, at least in the early stages of the disease. March’s awareness efforts focus on helping people recognize these neurological symptoms quickly, since early treatment can reduce the frequency and severity of relapses over time.
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is more common than most people realize. Falls account for nearly half of all TBI-related hospitalizations, making them the leading cause by a wide margin. Motor vehicle crashes, assaults, and firearm-related injuries round out the list. The CDC’s awareness campaign in March focuses on prevention, recognition of concussion symptoms, and understanding that recovery timelines vary widely depending on severity.
One of the campaign’s core messages is that brain injuries don’t only happen in dramatic accidents. A fall from a ladder, a slip on ice, or a tumble down stairs can cause lasting damage, particularly in older adults and young children.
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
This observance dates back to 1987, when Congress designated March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month through Public Law 99-483. The goals have remained consistent for nearly four decades: increase public awareness of what people with developmental disabilities can achieve, promote independent living, and expand access to employment and community participation.
The observance covers a broad range of conditions that begin before age 22 and affect daily functioning, including intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and others. The emphasis is less on medical details and more on inclusion, opportunity, and the removal of barriers that prevent full participation in everyday life.
Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
March also spotlights bleeding disorders, a group of inherited conditions where the blood doesn’t clot properly. The most well-known are hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease, but the category includes a range of platelet and clotting factor disorders. People living with these conditions often depend on plasma-derived products and platelet donations to manage their health, which is why the awareness campaign frequently ties into blood donation drives.
Symptoms can range from excessive bruising and prolonged bleeding from cuts to dangerous internal bleeding after injuries or surgery. Many bleeding disorders are genetic, so awareness campaigns also encourage families with a history of unusual bleeding to seek evaluation.
National Nutrition Month
Run by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month uses March to promote informed food choices and physical activity habits. The 2025 theme is “Discover the Power of Nutrition.” Each week of the month typically highlights a different aspect of eating well, from meal planning and reading nutrition labels to understanding how dietary patterns affect long-term health.
Unlike the disease-focused observances, this campaign is aimed at everyone. Its practical emphasis on building sustainable habits rather than following short-term diets makes it one of the more broadly applicable awareness efforts in March.