TrueCare’s Women’s Health Centers have caring professionals dedicated to ensuring the highest quality services to help women get and stay healthy. From wellness exams to family planning, including prenatal care and delivery planning, TrueCare provides personalized women’s health care in a comfortable environment.
Katherine Kelly, a provider at the community clinic’s Mission Mesa Women’s Health Center in Oceanside, recommends two important preventive health measures for all women to prioritize.
What are the most important considerations for women to prioritize when it come to their health?
Katherine Kelly: My appeal to women would be to make sure they take care of two important regular screenings: a breast cancer screening and a cervical cancer screening.
Why are these screenings critically important?
Katherine Kelly: Because they are used for the detection of cancers. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Women should also perform self-breast exams every month to have a baseline and be able to recognize any changes. If they notice changes, they should immediately report them to their provider.
For women who are over 50 years old, we recommend getting a mammogram every two years. Meanwhile, women between the ages of 40 to 49 should talk to their provider about when to begin mammograms and how often to be screened, especially if there is a history of breast cancer in the family.
The good news is that most health insurance plans are required to cover mammogram screenings every one to two years beginning at age 40 with no out-of-pocket cost.
A cervical cancer test is a simple test done during a well woman exam. The frequency of Pap testing depends on your age, past test results, and your personal risk of cancer. All women should start getting screened at 21 years old and talk to their provider about how frequently they should be screened after that.
It’s important for women to have a trusted provider to guide them through the complexities of making the best choices for their individual health needs.
We encourage women who have not visited a provider in over a year to reach out and get checked!