10 Things Women Can Do to LiVe Well With Preventive Care
By Laura Klarman
May 31, 2017
Updated Nov 17, 2023
5 min read
Preventive care for women doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, most of the things you need to do only need to be done once, or not very often.
“We understand and realize that women have specific health care needs,” says Lori Eining, RN, director of Women & Newborns Services for Intermountain Healthcare’s Salt Lake area hospitals. “We want to partner with you and help you live your healthiest life possible. One of the ways we can do that is through preventive care,”
Preventive care puts you in charge of your health. It lets you gauge your health today and find out ways to protect it for the future. It helps you:
Preventive care means taking the steps proactively to keep from getting sick or to keep a sickness from getting worse. It means taking small actions now, when you may not have an illness or symptoms. To get good preventive care, you need to:
A preventive care visit with your doctor is typically a separate visit. It’s not done at the same time as a visit for a recent or an ongoing condition.
According to the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, annual preventive assessments provide an excellent opportunity to counsel patients about preventing or minimizing your health risks and to provide or refer for recommended services.
The National Women's Health Information Center encourages you to take 10 steps to help yourself live longer, live better, and live happier:
Here are some routine activities you can do daily, monthly, and yearly to ensure good health. This chart provides general healthcare guidelines for women, but it isn’t meant to replace any advice and guidance given by your healthcare provider. Please use it as a reminder to take care of your personal health needs, and as a list of topics you may want to discuss with your healthcare provider.
EACH DAY |
EACH MONTH |
EACH YEAR |
OTHER |
Exercise 30 minutes a day. |
Perform an oral cavity self-exam; include your gums, teeth, lips, tongue |
Have a dental checkup once or twice a year. Have vision and hearing checked annually. |
Discuss with your healthcare provider whether you need an annual exam. |
Protect yourself from the sun — use sunscreen and dress appropriately. |
Perform a full-body self-exam for unusual moles or other skin conditions. Have your healthcare provider examine moles annually, or immediately if you have suspicious growths. |
Have a pelvic exam and pap test beginning at age 21. Get your healthcare provider’s recommendations for further testing and screening for the human papillomavirus, or HPV.* |
After age 50:
African Americans should begin screening with a colonoscopy at age 45 |
Watch your fat intake — fat should comprise no more than 35% of your calorie intake. Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. |
Be aware of your weight, check your body mass index |
Have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked |
Starting at age 45: every 5 years have a full lipid profile test for cholesterol and triglycerides. Earlier screening is recommended if you have risk factors for coronary artery disease. |
Eat sources of protein such as lean or low-fat meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. At least half of all of the grains eaten should be whole-grains. Consume 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products per day. |
|
Talk with your doctor about when you should have a mammogram. |
Get pneumococcal vaccines. After age 65: get the pneumococcal vaccines; also recommended for those younger than 65 who have medical problems that increase the risk for serious complications and death. |
Be aware of your alcohol intake and stress level. |
|
Get a flu shot. |
Get a tetanus/diphtheria (td) booster every 10 years. |
* The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women have their first pap test at age 21. Women ages 21 to 29 should have a pap test every three years. Women 30 and older are recommended to have co-testing every five years, and cytology and HPV tests every three years. It's reasonable to discontinue screening for cervical cancer in women age 65 and over after they receive negative prior screening tests if there’s no history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ within the last 20 years. After screening has been discontinued, it shouldn’t be resumed, even if a woman has multiple sexual partners.