Women need to get regular preventive care, just like men. Here are some of the most important services that you should be getting regularly:
Pap Smear
A Pap smear is a test that checks for signs of cervical cancer. It’s one of the most important things you can do to protect your health, but many women don’t get them as often as they should.
A Pap smear is an exam performed by your doctor or nurse to check for changes in your cervix that could lead to cervical cancer. It involves taking a sample of cells from your cervix and looking at them under a microscope so we can see if they’re abnormal or not. The test helps detect abnormal cells before they start showing up on routine pelvic exams (which happen when you go in for birth control).
Pap smears are recommended beginning at age 21 and should be done every three years until age 30; after 30 years old, they should be done every five years unless otherwise advised by your provider or healthcare team member based on risk factors such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), smoking history and/or other medical conditions like diabetes mellitus which put you at higher risk for developing this disease type
Breast Cancer Screening
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It’s also one of the most preventable, but it can be hard to know when and how often you should get screened for breast cancer.
There are several risk factors for breast cancer: age (the older you are, the more likely it is that you’ll develop it), family history (if anyone in your family has had breast or ovarian cancer), previous radiation exposure or treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma or other cancers like leukemia or lymphoma, obesity (being overweight), having dense breasts (which makes them harder to see on an x-ray) and not breastfeeding after giving birth. If any of these apply to you–or if there’s ever been something unusual about one of your breasts–talk with your doctor about whether getting a mammogram is right for you.
If so, schedule an appointment at least once every year between ages 40-70; earlier than this if there are additional risk factors present such as being African American or Hispanic American; later than this if there aren’t any additional risk factors present but they’re still needed because they might catch something early enough before symptoms show up that could save lives!
Mammogram
You’ve probably heard that mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early. However, you may not know that there are other options for women over 40 who want to prevent or catch cancerous tumors before they spread. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends annual screenings for women aged 40-49 and biennial screenings for those 50-74 years old.
In addition to these recommendations, the ACS also suggests that women at high risk of developing breast cancer should be screened more often than the general population–or even more frequently than their doctor has recommended. These include:
- Women with a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer;
- Those who have had genetic testing revealing mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes;
- Those who were diagnosed with radiation-induced leukemia as children or young adults;
- Those who were exposed to high levels of radiation during childhood due to atomic bomb testing (such as those living near Hanford Nuclear Reservation);
- And anyone else experiencing symptoms such as lumps/nodules that do not go away after six months
Pelvic Exam
A pelvic exam is a routine part of a woman’s annual gynecologic visit. It can detect many conditions that are not visible or obvious, such as ovarian tumors and uterine fibroids. It also allows your doctor to examine the external genitalia and perform tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
If you have never had sexual intercourse, it is not necessary for you to have a pelvic exam before engaging in sexual activity; however, if you are sexually active then it is important that you have one at least once every year so that we can screen for STIs and other conditions associated with female anatomy such as ovarian cysts or ovarian cancer.
Women need to get regular preventive care.
You need to get regular preventive care.
Women are more likely than men to develop certain cancers, heart disease and diabetes. That’s why it’s important for you to get a pap smear, breast exam, mammogram and pelvic exam every year. A doctor can also check your weight and blood pressure during the visit. This way they can find out if there are any problems before they become serious issues that require more care or treatment
Women are under a lot of pressure to look good and feel healthy. It can be difficult to find the time for regular preventive care, but it’s important that you do. Take some time today to schedule your next appointment with your doctor or gynecologist so they can check up on everything from breast cancer screenings to pap smears!
