What Are the Most Important Health Screenings for a Woman?

Preventative care is the key to good health for women. With an aim toward averting illnesses and diseases or warding them off before they worsen, preventative care generally involves medical services like checkups, screenings and vaccines. 

Catching health problems early is a game changer for women, making diseases much easier to treat.

Health advocates highly recommend that women get regular preventive screenings based on their age and health history.

When should women start getting mammograms?

Finding breast cancer early is one of the most important ways to prevent deaths from breast cancer. A mammogram, a low dose X-ray exam of the breast, is considered the gold standard for early detection of breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society says the age at which women should begin getting routine mammograms depends on whether individuals are at high risk or average risk of breast cancer. 

A woman is at average risk if she doesn’t have a gene mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer or a personal or strong family history of the disease.

The ACS guidelines for women at average risk for breast cancer are:

• Women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.
• Women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
• Women 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue if a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.

The ACS says women who are at high risk should get a breast MRI and a mammogram every year, typically starting at age 30. This includes women who:

• Have a parent, brother, sister, or child with cancer suppressor gene change and have not had genetic testing themselves.
• Had radiation therapy to the chest before they were 30 years old.
• Have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have first-degree relatives with one of these syndromes.

Women are encouraged to work with their healthcare providers to establish a plan to follow the guidelines, based in part on the patient’s personal circumstances and preferences.

How often do women need a cervical cancer screening or Pap test?

A Pap test, or Pap smear, is a routine screening tool for detecting abnormal cell changes on the cervix before they can develop into cervical cancer. The test involves collecting cells from the cervix and checking them for early precancerous changes.

Women should get a Pap test every three years beginning at age 21 until age 29. At age 30, women sould get a Pap test with an HPV test every three to five years.

Why are regular blood pressure checks important for women?

High blood pressure often has no symptoms but greatly increases the risk of serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. 

Routine checks are the only reliable way to detect high blood pressure, which is also called hypertension. 

There’s a common myth that high blood pressure rarely affects women. However, the American Heart Association says nearly half of all adults with high blood pressure are women. 

It’s important that women 40 have their blood pressure checked at least once a year. For those 18 to 39 with no risk factors, once every three to five years is often recommended. However, some doctors suggest an annual check of blood pressure even for those in this age group. 

What age should women get a cholesterol screening?

Like hypertension, high cholesterol doesn’t have symptoms. The only way to know whether a person has high cholesterol is to get a blood test screening called a lipid profile.

Health experts recommend that women age 20 and older should begin routine cholesterol screenings. However, screening can start as early as the pre-teen years if there is a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease.

Most healthy adult women should have their cholesterol checked at least every four to six years. Those ages 55 to 65 should get screened every 1 to 2 years because cardiovascular risks often rise around the time of menopause.

Women 65 and older should get screened every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

How do you know if you should be screened for diabetes?

Early detection is essential to avoid diabetes-related complications, including heart, kidney, and eye disease.

The American Diabetes Association says symptoms include:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry (even though you are eating)
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss even though you are eating more (type 1, a far less prevalent type that results from an autoimmune reaction)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2, which progresses silently over the years and accounts for up to 95% of diabetes cases, according to the CDC)

However, some people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms so mild they don't notice them. In fact, over 20% of adults with diabetes don’t know they have it. 

That’s why the ADA encourages everyone, even those without noticeable symptoms, should get screened starting at age 35.

Younger adult women who are overweight or have specific risk factors should also be tested.

Which doctor orders these screenings, an OB/GYN or a primary care doctor?

Primary care doctors can provide many preventative health services such as screenings for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. They can also offer some women specific health services like prescribing birth control, treating vaginal infections giving referrals for mammograms. 

OB/GYNs are specialists who complete four years of medical residency devoted entirely to the female reproductive system. That training includes reproductive surgery, prenatal care, labor and delivery, menopause management, and complex female pelvic health. 

 While there is some overlap in the services provided to women by primary care and OB/GYN physicians, it’s a good idea for women to have both types of doctors. 

What health screenings should women schedule every year?

Women should see their doctors for an annual wellness visit. These appointments focus on preventive health and risk planning rather than active medical care. 

They typically include a brief physical exam, a blood pressure check, and body mass index (BMI) screening.

 Not every preventative test is required every single year; many key screenings like Pap smears or mammograms are done every 2 to 5 years depending on age and risk. 

Which preventive appointments do women need based on her age?

Women need different preventive health appointments and screenings depending on the stages of their lives and various other factors. These factors include genetics, lifestyle habits, environment, and both the patient’s personal and family medical history.

Patients should talk with their health care provider about a personalized screening schedule based on these factors.

Generally, annual wellness visits are recommended for women, particularly those 40 and older.

Beyond that, Ochsner generally recommends the following screenings for women based on age:

Age 18 to 29:

• Blood Pressure: Get screened at least every two years if you have normal blood pressure (below 130/85).
  Cervical Cancer: Women should get a Pap test every three years beginning at age 21 until age 29. 
  Cholesterol: Get a baseline test in your 20s.

Age 30 to 39: everything above, plus:

• HPV: Women should begin testing in conjunction with a Pap test every five years until age 65.
• Cervical Cancer: PAP alone continue every three years, Pap and HPV co-testing every five years until age 65.
• Cholesterol: Periodic assessment of cardiovascular disease risk. Measure levels every five years.

Age 40 to 49: everything above, plus:

• Breast Cancer: Get a mammogram starting at age 40 every 1-2 years.
• Diabetes: Women with no risk factors should be tested annually beginning at age 45.
• Colorectal Cancer: Begin screenings at age 45, and depending on the type of test, stool DNA annually or direct visualization screening every three to 10 years.

Age 50 to 59: everything above, plus:

• Coronary Calcium: Have a baseline scan at age 55.
• Lung Cancer Screening: Screen adults aged 55-80 with smoking history.

Age 60 and above: everything above, plus: 

• Osteoporosis: Have a bone density or DEXA scan every two years starting at age 65.

How do you keep track of screenings and checkups?

MyOchsner is a great tool for doing just that. This digital healthcare portal and mobile app provided by Ochsner Health gives patients secure online access to their medical records and care team.

Patients can make appointments, view test results, message their care team, get prescription refills and connect with on-call nurses on MyOchsner.

How do you schedule both my OB/GYN and primary care visits?

MyOchsner allows patients to schedule new visits, check details for upcoming appointments and view past visits for both primary care and OB/GYN visits.

Patients can download the MyOchsner app and start using it immediately.

What should you do if you’ve fallen behind on preventive care?

Procrastination is an issue for many of us, so it’s easy to fall behind. 

Those whose preventative care has lagged should schedule a check-up with their primary care doctor to create a catch-up plan. And stick to the plan!