Healthy Life: Advice for Women in Their 20s and 80s-Gloves

Worthington — Regular wellness visits are a major step towards preventing health. Your doctor will help you understand which screenings and vaccines are right for you based on your age, risk factors and health history.

Women should see their doctor regularly for wellness visits. During this time, your doctor will ask you about recent changes in your health and identify if you have an illness that may be at risk. Your risk factors can come from your medical history, your lifestyle, your family’s medical history, or the current medication you are using.

These visits are often covered by annual insurance at no additional cost. Annual influenza vaccinations and vaccinations such as the COVID-19 vaccine may be recommended. They are considered preventive medicine, to keep you healthy and avoid serious medical problems in the future.

Guidelines and recommendations for specific screening tests and vaccines will vary by age and risk factors, but regular wellness visits are important to prevent illnesses of all ages.

It is important that all women receive a specific health check each year. Height and weight can be used by providers to identify the risk of diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Blood pressure measurements and other vital signs may indicate a risk of cardiovascular disease. Women are also screened for home safety (domestic violence), depression, and the use of tobacco and alcohol on regular wellness visits.

Prophylactic screening is the key to early detection of the disease when it is most treatable and before it becomes serious.

Here is a guide to preventive health for women by age. Depending on your needs, you can follow a different screening schedule or receive additional screening. Your GP will help you create a personalized screening schedule for you.

Women in their twenties need:

• Regular wellness visits
• One cholesterol screening between the ages of 21 and 29
• Vaccination including HPV vaccination given by age 45
• Cervical cancer screening every 3 years from 21 years old
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases
• HIV screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Diabetes screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C

Women in their thirties need:

• Regular wellness visits
• Cholesterol screening every 5 years from 30 to 44 years
• Vaccination
• Cervical cancer screening every 5 years
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases if at high risk
• HIV screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Diabetes screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C
• Screening of mammograms at high risk

Women in their 40s need the following:

• Regular wellness visits
• Cholesterol screening every 5 years from 30 to 44 years and annually from 45 years
• Annual mammogram
• Vaccination
• Cervical cancer screening every 5 years
• Screening for colorectal cancer starting at age 45 – stool test every 1-3 years or colonoscopy every 10 years
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases
• HIV screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Diabetes screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C

Women in their 50s need the following:

• Regular wellness visits
• Annual cholesterol screening
• Annual mammogram
• Vaccination including shingles vaccine
• Cervical cancer screening every 5 years
• Colorectal Cancer Screening — Stool test every 1-3 years or colon endoscopy every 10 years
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases
• HIV screening
• Lung cancer screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C

Women in their 60s need:

• Regular wellness visits
• Annual cholesterol screening
• Annual mammogram
• Vaccination
• Cervical cancer screening every 5 years until age 65
• Colorectal Cancer Screening — Stool test every 1-3 years or colon endoscopy every 10 years
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases
• HIV screening
• Lung cancer screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C
• Bone density screening

Women in their 70s need the following:

• Regular wellness visits
• Annual cholesterol screening
• Annual mammogram
• Vaccination
• Papanicolaou stain test and HPV test or HPV test every 5 years up to age 65
• Screening for colorectal cancer up to age 75 — stool tests every 1 to 3 years or colon endoscopy every 10 years. Talk to your provider if you need more than 75 screenings
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Lung cancer screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C
• Bone density screening

Women in their 80s need the following:

• Regular wellness visits
• Annual cholesterol screening
• Annual mammogram
• Vaccination
• Practice breast self-awareness at home

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Colorectal cancer screening
• Lung cancer screening
• Skin cancer screening
• Screening for hepatitis B and C

As you can see, screening women is not “universal.” Talk to your healthcare provider to determine risk factors and an appropriate screening schedule. Call Sanford Worthington Clinic ((507) 372-3800) to schedule a wellness visit.