Women's Health
Don’t let illness sneak up on you. Paying attention to your health, even when you feel fine, can make staying well easier in the long term.
Regular screenings, tests, and check-ups with a doctor are good ways to take control of your health. These exams can make it easier to spot problems early when treatment is often more effective. They might even prevent a problem from developing in the first place.
- Well-Woman Checkup
- Test to Check for Sexually Transmitted Infections or Disease
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Breast Cancer Screening
Breast cancer screening includes checking a woman’s breasts for cancer before there are signs or symptoms of the disease. Although breast cancer screening cannot prevent breast cancer, it can help find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. Talk to your doctor about which breast cancer screening tests are right for you, and when you should have them.
It is recommended that women who are 50 to 74 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every 2 years. Women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor about when to start and how often to get a mammogram. Women should weigh the benefits and risks of screening tests when deciding whether to begin getting mammograms before age 50.
Well-Woman Checkup
One of the best ways you can stay healthy is to schedule a yearly well-woman checkup.
Well-woman checkups are a covered benefit for our members. During this checkup, your provider may do a:
- Cervical cancer screening (Pap test) to check for cervical cancer (Learn more about cervical cancer here)
- Breast exam to check for breast cancer (Learn more about mammograms here)
Test to Check for Sexually Transmitted Infections or Disease
You may not have any signs or symptoms of these problems. Getting a well-woman checkup each year can help catch problems early before they become difficult to treat. A woman’s health can change quickly. That’s why it’s important to schedule a well-woman checkup each year.
You can call your primary care physician (PCP) to schedule a well-woman checkup, or you may call an OB/GYN.
Cervical Cancer Screening
The Pap test or Pap smear looks for early signs of cancer at the cervix. It is often done with an HPV (human papillomavirus) test. HPV can cause changes that lead to cervical cancer. If you are 21-29 years old, you should get a Pap test annually. If you are 30-65 years old, you may get Pap tests less often if your results are normal.
