Essential Screenings for Women’s Health Exams

There’s a reason why a routine health exam can feel, well, routine. That’s because these appointments establish a baseline of your overall health while screening for specific diseases. However, the tests you need may change depending on where you are in life — especially if you’re a woman.

Our providers at All Day Medical Care Clinic offer personalized and primary care services for people at every stage of life. If you’re scheduling a women’s health appointment, here’s how we personalize your care for your unique needs.

Vitals

Every women’s health appointment starts by capturing general vital information, such as weight and blood pressure.

Depending on your overall health and personal risks, we could also recommend additional screenings to check for signs of high cholesterol or diabetes.

Sexually transmitted diseases

If you’re sexually active, we could recommend testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you fit any of these categories, STD testing could be recommended.

• Being under age 25 and sexually active
• Having a history of STDs
• Engaging in sexual activity with a new partner or if you have multiple partners
• Having a sexual partner who has multiple partners or an STD
• Engaging in sexual activity without regular condom use

You should also undergo HIV/AIDS testing at least once after turning age 20 or earlier if you’re at risk.

Cervical cancer screenings

Women ages 21-65 should undergo regular screenings — or Pap tests — for cervical cancer. The frequency of this test varies, depending on your age and risk factors. So, it can occur anywhere from once a year to once every five years.

Breast cancer screenings

Your woman’s health exam also includes checking for breast cancer. Women under age 40 typically have a manual breast exam performed by their provider. However, by no later than age 50, you should also undergo regular digital mammogram screenings to watch for changes within your breast tissue. These screenings usually continue through at least age 74.

We could recommend mammogram screenings earlier or more frequently, depending on your risk of developing breast cancer.

Bone density screenings

Unfortunately, osteoporosis is a serious problem for women as they age, putting them at risk of suffering broken bones. To avoid future issues, we perform regular bone density tests to determine bone mass. Based on our findings, we can make the appropriate recommendations to help protect your bones as you age.

In most cases, bone density screenings begin after menopause or at least by age 65. However, we could perform this test earlier based on your risk factors for osteoporosis.

Colorectal cancer screenings

When you exclude skin cancer, colorectal cancer tops the list as the most common cancer affecting people in the United States. Fortunately, incidence rates have started dropping each year because of regular colorectal cancer screenings.

For women at average risk of colorectal cancer, we recommend regular testing between ages 50-75. Like all screenings, we modify these general guidelines based on your personal risks.

Lung cancer screenings

Do you smoke? Have you smoked in the past? We could recommend lung cancer testing if you are between ages 55-80 and:

• Currently smoke
• Have smoked approximately a pack a day for 30 years
• Have quit smoking within 15 years

We can also help create a strategy to help you quit if you would like to stop smoking for good.

To learn more about the women’s health screenings you need to protect your health, book an appointment online or over the phone with All Day Medical Care Clinic today.