Medical

6 Health Screenings All Women Should Have

You could have endless chores on your list. These could be meetings, childcare, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and more. It's quite possible to feel overwhelmed, and put your own needs aside as a result. This International Women's Health Day, put yourself on the top of the list and schedule these six most important health tests.

By D Tejaswi

28 May 2022

A health test taken at the right time helps you to keep ailments at bay, avoid advanced symptoms and understand your body better. Here are a few important health checks you should take once a year.

Test	Age	Frequency	Pre-Test Care	Post-Test Care
Pap Smear & HPV	Above 25	Once in 3-5 years until 65 years age	Non menstruating, Avoid sexual intercourse or spermicidal products a day before test	May experience slight bleeding or discomfort in vaginal area for one day.
Mammogram	Above 40	Once in 1-2 years	Avoid body powders, deodarants or creams on breasts which can show as white spots on X ray	May experience slight discomfort in breasts for sometime post examination
Bone Density Screening	Above 65(After menopause for high risk & obese women)	Once in 1-2 years	Don't wear any garments containing metal which can skew X-Rays	Nil
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone	Above 18	Once in a year	Nil	Nil
Colon Cancer Screening	Above 45	Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year	Having liquid diet for 24 to 72hrs before test	Rest until sedative wears off. Advised not to drive or handle heavy equipment for 24hours
Hormone blood tests	All ages	As per professional opinion	Nil	Nil

All the tests indicated above are in addition to the general & gender agnostic tests which are recommended/prescribed at a given age, symptoms & daignosis by a medical professional

All the information given above is indicative and cannot be substituted for professional medical advice. Please contact a qualified medical professional in case of doubt/query.