March marks Women’s Health Month, and the best way to ensure long-term health is through prevention. We spoke with physicians from Pembroke Pines to Port St. Lucia to gather a comprehensive list of health checks for women at every age and stage of life.
Dr. Christopher Chang, an expert in allergy and immunology at Joe DiMaggio Hospital in Pembroke Pines, emphasized the importance of looking beyond the checklist. If you are experiencing symptoms such as recurrent infections like pneumonia or unusual infections, further testing or referrals to a specialist may be necessary.
For women aged 18-39, it is recommended to undergo cervical cancer screening, PAP and HPV testing, screenings for gonorrhea and chlamydia, contraception counseling or receive recommended immunizations. For women aged 40-65, important tests include breast cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening, glaucoma screening, melanoma screening, lung cancer screening, and osteoporosis screening. And for women over 65 should consider a fall risk assessment and fall prevention program along with hearing screening osteoporosis screening memory loss evaluation and assessment for elder abuse/neglect.
Regular health checks and screenings are essential for maintaining good health at every stage of a woman’s life. It is important to remember that preventive care can help catch potential health problems early on before they become more serious issues that require more extensive treatment later on in life.
