“A woman's health is her total well-being, not determined solely by biological factors and reproduction, but also by effects of work load, nutrition, stress, war and migration, among others.” (van der Kwaak, 1991)
The need for periodic health screening for women can help to identify health problems early, at a medical phase where treatments are mostly successful or manageable. Below are list of recommended medical health screening for women:
#1. Breast examination: once a lady is 20 years of age, breast self- examination should be done at least once in a month, to dictate any abnormalities. Any unusual symptom like swelling, dimple, discharge, redness, unusual masses, or any change in look and feel should be reported immediately to a health professional, so that a mammogram and breast examination can be done, this screening may be able to dictate breast cancer in its earliest, and treatable phase
#2. Pelvic examination with Pap smear test: this screening is recommended for women starting from 18 years of age, or at start of sexual activity. This screening should be done yearly, but with a successful three or more consecutive normal anal examination, the screening can be done less frequently based on the instruction of your medical practitioner. During this screening, health professionals will look at pelvic area, internal, and externally for any abnormalities.
Smear test is done by gently scraping the inside of your cervix to obtain cells for the Pap smear, which is only be done by a health professional in medical lab; the test is done to inspect any signs of cervical cancer. This screening should be done by any woman who is sexually active at least once in 3 years.
#3. Colon cancer screening: This screening is done to check for colon cancer; it is recommended for women at age 50 and should be done continuous once every year. Though one can start the test earlier by looking for signs of blood on stool; it is called fecal occult blood test. Once over 50 years of age, start to have flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, a procedure that uses a flexible lighted tube to examine the rectum and lower colon for any abnormalities. Individual with family history of colon cancer should ask their health professional of how often they need to do this screening.
#4. Blood Cholesterol screening: beginning fro age 21, women should have their blood pressure measured. This screening checks for high blood pressure, which is the causal agent for heart disease.
#5. Bone Mineral density exam/bone mass density examination: this screening help in identifying low bone mass or density which can lead to easy fractures and osteoporosis (thinning of the bones). This screening is recommended for women age 40 and above who have sustained a fracture, and for all women who had never had fracture and are well above 65 years of age. The screening is also good for women who are at risk of medical situations, and for women with nutritional conditions associated with bone lose.
#6. Sexually transmitted disease screening: most of STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) do not cause symptoms; it is important for women who are sexually active to regularly go for STD screenings. STD like Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, and HIV can be discovered in their earliest phase during the annual gynecologic examination. Nevertheless, once there are any unusual symptoms, or one is in doubt, the STD screening can be done at any time.
#7. Obesity: body Mass Index (BMI) should be calculated to screen for obesity.
#8. Skin cancer screening: women should go for skin cancer screening once in a while.
#9. Diabetes screening: women with risk of diabetes type 2 should receive a fasting glucose test every 3 years; this can be done starting at age 45. The concern or risk factors for this screening are family history of either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, women who have had diabetes during pregnancy, and women having high blood pressure or hypertension.
#10. Vision screening: women starting from age 18 should have eye examinations every one or two years till the age of 61. Those with an ongoing eye conditions should see their optometrist as often as recommended by the physician.
#11. Hearing test: screen for hearing loss is recommended for every adult once in 10 years through the age of 50 where more screenings should take place say once in every 3 years.
In as much as this article outlined list of recommended health guidelines for women screening, it is not a standard which should be followed against your health professionals advice, this is to give women a guide and understanding of what is expected of a woman on a general term. It is worth to know that, women's health are issues that have attained high international attentions, with lots of policies and programs which have helped women to lead a more healthier lives.