The Importance Of Preventive Health Care for Women

04 May 2018
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The Importance Of Preventive Health Care for Women

 

The list of women’s common health problems includes HPV, cancer- ovarian and breast- and STDs. While the list could go on endlessly, there are a lot of ways to avoid them with some you can even do as part of your everyday life.

It is helpful to understand the importance of preventive health care for women in order to ward off problems before they can even develop. One of the most important preventive tool is awareness about these problems.

So many materials online are readily available at any time should you have any questions about the risks of developing these diseases.

You may also consult your OB/GYN if you have any concerns to get firsthand information in identifying some possible problems your age could run into.

In the United States, experts have conducted studies on the common death and disability reasons and the findings were instrumental in helping them identify ways to prevent them.

The studies have opened doors for better screenings for early disease detection. Generally, these have parts of preventive healthcare.

 

Why is preventive care important?

Sounds cliché but prevention is absolutely better than cure. Women of all ages must be made aware about how to avoid health problems rather than wait for them to develop and fight them. Warding off diseases is not only easier, but in a financial aspect, also less costly.

Scheduling regular checkups is a healthy practice for women. Pap smears and mammogram screenings should be done on a yearly basis to get a full picture of your health.

Another test which you can include on these visits would be screening for osteoporosis. You can even ask your physician about hepatitis and HPV and how to get vaccines against them.

 

What are the most common preventive care for women?

  • Family planning.

A woman’s body plays a great role in bringing life into this world, but unplanned pregnancies bring so many health risks. It is also an economic concern, especially in cases where women are having babies during early teens.

Some may find it difficult to continue school because, let us admit it the challenges associated with raising a family and keeping her health all together is extremely difficult.

Women who are physically and financially prepared to have babies should also practice family planning. Remember, the number of children and the proper spacing between them is important in keeping a mother’s holistic health in top shape.

  • Breastfeeding awareness.

Breastfeeding programs are not only focused on the baby’s health benefits, but the mother’s as well. Although it has been said that breast milk is best for the baby’s first 6 months, you may extend the actual latching to a year more or even two.

Counsel groups are available to help you out, especially for first-time moms, because the whole idea of motherhood is overwhelming. However, just take it easy because it will definitely get better with time.

  • Take regular screenings for STD.

Once you are sexually active, you need to set aside time for regular visits to your doctor and even take screening tests for sexually transmitted diseases or STDs.

It is important to discuss your sexual history openly with your OB/GYN and from there, you will be advised about how to go about the signs and symptoms.

It may not be comfortable at first, but being honest about this subject could save your health. You can also visit other clinics that provide this kind of service if you want a “community” atmosphere and not the typical “patient-doctor” consultation.

  • Watch out for UTI.

The urinary tract infection or UTI is common among women of all ages. When the vaginal wall becomes less acidic, bad bacteria are more likely to grow and invade even in the urethra.

There are screening tests that you can take to check for indications of infection. Pregnant women, most especially, are susceptible to this type of infection with the most common causes traced back to diet, sexual activities, and hygiene.

UTI is becoming harder to combat with antibiotics so the best way to deal with it is to prevent it from developing.

  • Breast cancer tests.

The occurrence of breast cancer is becoming more common than ever, but it has also become one of the easiest to detect through mammograms.

Mammography screenings can show irregularities that can lead to the development of breast cancer.

The results will guide your physician in managing your health properly. Annual screening is recommended by the American College of Radiology and the Society for Breast Imaging with even for those who do not have any breast cancer history in the family.

For the longest time, health care providers around the world focused only with treating diseases. It was not until the US Preventive Services Task Force was formed in 1984 that prevention was made the focus rather than finding the cure.

Recognizing the importance of preventive health care for women, the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) was launched to work with organizations and health care professionals in provide comprehensive preventive measures without any extra cost.

 

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