Health of Women

Women should be extremely proactive about their health and well-being by undergoing the most important exams and visiting their health specialists on a regular basis. This is due to the fact that some health conditions affect just women, with mammograms, Pap and HPV testing, clinical breast examinations, and chlamydia tests all being essential health care needs for all women. As a result, the purpose of this research is to provide an overview of the differences in reproductive health screening between younger and older women.

Pap tests: Women above the age of 30 are advised to have a combination Pap and HPV test every 5 years (Goldman, 2012). However if the HPV test is not available, they can get a Pap test after every 3 years. Women who have attained the age of 65 and above and had previously been tested and received normal results are on the contrary advised to stop going for further screening. On the other hand, women below the age of 30 should get a Pap test after every 3 years (Goldman, 2012). For the younger women, their first pap test should be done within the first two years after they become sexually active.

HPV tests: the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a virus that causes alterations and changes in cervical cells. The HPV tests should however be carried out together with the Pap test after every 5 years for older women who are above the age of 40 years (Wingood, 2013). For the younger women, the HPV tests should be carried out to those women who had their pap tests indecisive and questionable. Carrying out the HPV test along with the Pap test is an enhanced method and technique that is used to identify women who are more predisposed and susceptible to developing cervical cancer (Charlton & Missmer, 2011).

Mammogram tests: mammogram tests are not commended for younger women who are below the age of 25 years. However if one has had a close family member who had breast cancer before, one is advised to have screening done annually. Older women on the other hand up-to the age of 75 years should have a mammogram carried out every 1 to 2 years especially at the start of their 40 years. This is however dependent on the risk factors the individual is predisposed to. Once one attains the age of 75 years and above, one is advised not to have any mammogram tests conducted on her.

Clinical breast exam: it is quite evident that not all breast cancers can be detected through mammogram tests. It is in this case that clinical breast exams are of significant help as a good clinical breast exam can help detect breast cancer when it is reasonably early. Clinical breast exams should be carried out after every 3 years for younger women in their 20s and 30s and every year for older women who have attained the age of 40 years and above (Charlton & Missmer, 2011).

Chlamydia tests: chlamydia tests should be conducted annually to women under the age of 25 years and who are sexually active while for older women, one should get the test regularly done especially if one has multiple sexual partners (Wingood, 2013).

Conclusively, the implications of the health differences in screening expressed between the older and younger women are quite evident. These implications are that better and more informed decisions about an individual’s health are made promptly since diseases are not a respecter of age. Also, it is quite important to note that older women are more vulnerable and pre-disposed to diseases such as breast and cervical cancer as compared to their younger counterparts; therefore, this should prompt them to paying their health physicians more visits for regular screening.

References

Charlton, B. M., & Missmer, S. A. (2011). Reproductive Health Screening Disparities and Sexual Orientation in a Cohort Study of U.S. Adolescent and Young Adult Females. US National Library of Medicine: National Institute for Health, 3.

Goldman, M. B. (2012). Women and Health. Cambridge: Academic PressAcademic Press.

Wingood, G. M. (2013). Handbook of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.