National Women’s Health Week Stresses Steps to Healthier Living

It’s National Women’s Health Week through Saturday, May 16, 2015, seven days of observance celebrated and promoted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.

(Photo, right inset) NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK: Through May 16, 2015, women are urged to get 'well-woman visits' to lead healthier lifestyles & have good reproductive & sexual health. Photo: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women's Health

The UMHS Endeavour looks at how the week is utilized to “empower women to make their health a priority,” according to the Womenshealth.gov website. This week is also a time to help women “understand what steps they can take to improve their health.”

We will briefly discuss the importance of such things as “well-woman” visits, and how future doctors at American and Caribbean medical schools can teach prospective female patients about ways to live a healthier lifestyle.

Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following to improve mental and physical health:

• Visit a doctor or nurse to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.
• Get active.
• Eat healthy.
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.

What Women in Their 20s & 30s Should Do

Following are health suggestions for women in their 20s and 30s from the Office on Women’s Health.

20s & 30s

“During your well-woman visit, you’ll discuss the steps you need to take, as well as the screenings and shots you need, based on your age, health habits, risk factors, and family history,” the website says. " It’s a time to check in on how you’re doing, how you'd like to be doing, and what changes you can make to reach your health goals. In addition to talking with your doctor or nurse about your health, you may also get a physical exam and perhaps certain shots and medical tests. You do not need every test every year.”

General Health

• Get an annual well-woman visit
• Eat healthy
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get blood pressure checked
• Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days
• Quit smoking or don’t start
• Limit alcohol use
• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Ask what other shots you need
• Talk to your doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence

Reproductive & Sexual Health

• Choose the right birth control if you have sex
• Talk to your doctor about whether you plan to have children in the next year
• Talk to your doctor about when you need a Pap test (21 and older)
• Talk to your doctor about my risk for sexually transmitted infections and need for screening
• Get an HIV test at least once in your lifetime
• Get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea
• Get the HPV vaccine if you have not yet received the series of shots (26 and younger)

Diseases & Conditions

• Talk to your doctor about getting your cholesterol checked if I have a family history of heart problems
• Get tested for diabetes if you have blood pressure higher than 135/80
• Talk to your doctor about your family history of cancers
• Talk to your doctor about getting screened for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
• Talk to your doctor about stress, depression, and other mental health concerns

For more information, please visit http://healthfinder.gov/myhealthfinder/

(Top image & inset images) Images: Courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

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