Health Checks Women Need At Each Age

Whether you are in your 20s or your 70s, being proactive about your health is incredibly important. While we embrace our strength and resilience as women, it’s also important to make time to care for ourselves. Here we explore the essential health checks we need at each age. From breast and cervical cancer screenings to bone density checks and mental health assessments, we’ll cover it all. Early detection is key to tackling health challenges head-on.

In Your 20s and 30s

• Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Screening: STDs affect 1 in 5 people, with half of the new cases occurring in teens and young adults between the ages of 15 to 24 years old. The good news: STDs can be preventable. Of course, abstinence is the only 100% foolproof way to protect yourself from an STD. However, practicing safe sex by using barrier protection methods (i.e., condoms or dental dams) can be very effective as well.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that any sexually active female under the age of 25 receive at least annual screenings for gonorrhea and chlamydia because a majority of cases in the United States occur in this age group. They also recommend women 25 years and older with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners or a sex partner who has an STD should also be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year.

If you think you may have been exposed, it’s important to seek help. Our care centers can provide you with discreet, confidential testing for STDs.

• Cervical Cancer Screening: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends screening for cervical cancer begin at age 21.  Cervical cancer screening may be done through a Pap test or HPV test.

During the Pap test, your provider will use a plastic or metal instrument, called a speculum, to look inside your vagina. This helps your provider to examine the vagina and the cervix and collect a few cells from the cervix for testing. These cells are then sent to a laboratory for testing. In some cases, an HPV test may be recommended. This is completed in a similar manner but looks for HPV in the cervical cells.

From the ages of 21-29 a Pap test alone is recommended every 3 years. From ages 30-65, any of the following is acceptable screening: a Pap test alone every 3 years, HPV testing alone every 5 years or co-testing, meaning a Pap test completed in conjunction with the HPV test.

Your Axia Women’s Health provider can help you determine your personal screening plan.

In Your 40s

• Breast Cancer Screening: Guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force and other leading health authorities advise women begin breast cancer screening at age 40. Mammograms can save lives by finding cancer in its earliest stages when it is most treatable.

Axia Women’s Health is here to support you in making caring for your breast health as convenient as possible. Many of our care centers now offer in-suite 3D mammography or are located within a short drive to an Axia Women’s Health mammography center. Click here for more information on our imaging locations.

• Colorectal Cancer Screening: The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45. Several types of screening tests are available including stool tests and colonoscopies. Your primary care physician can help you to understand the best screening test for you.
• Routine screenings for cervical cancer should also continue in your 40s, along with regular blood pressure checks to monitor hypertension, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

In Your 50s

• Menopause Assessment: Additionally, one of the big shifts in your 40s and 50s as a woman is menopause. There’s no definitive age at which you’ll enter or move through the phases of menopause, but most women tend to go through it in their 40s or 50s – reaching the end of menstruation on average at age 51, according to the North American Menopause Society.

The fluctuation in hormones during this time can lead to symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, mood changes, sleep difficulties, decreased libido, and vaginal dryness.

If you’re struggling with symptoms of menopause, it’s important to speak up. There are a variety of treatment options that may be able to help. Your Axia Women’s Health provider is here to help answer questions and support you as you enter this new chapter in your life!

• Routine screenings for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, blood pressure, and blood sugar should continue in your 50s.

In Your 60s and Beyond

• Bone Density Screening: Building and maintaining good bone health is crucial, as women are at greater risk than men of developing the bone disease known as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a serious disease that causes the bones to thin and become more fragile.

Osteoporosis affects 8 million women in the U.S. and can result in painful bone fractures. A bone density screening is the only test that can actually diagnose osteoporosis before a fracture occurs. It’s recommended that women over the age of 65 or who have an increased risk-factor for osteoporosis receive this screening.

• Routine screenings for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, blood pressure, and blood sugar are still recommended. A discussion with your provider will help you assess how frequently you need to be screened.

At Any Age

• Mental Health Assessments: No matter your age, it’s important to care for your mental health. At some point we all encounter difficult times, and seeking support is one of the most natural and loving steps you can take to care for your health and be there for others.

At Axia Women’s Health, we now offer counseling and behavioral health services in a confidential, convenient environment for our patients. As a patient, you can sign-up for support directly from our website or by talking to your Axia Women’s Health provider.

Taking charge of your health throughout every decade of life is more than just checking things off your to-do list. It’s an empowering way to help you feel your best and ensure you can be there for others. Remember, early detection is key, and early intervention can make all the difference. So, schedule your appointments, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and celebrate every step you take towards a healthier, happier you. Remember, you’re worth it!