Seven Health Checks Every Woman Should Have

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Feel fine? Fantastic! But that doesn’t mean you don’t need a maintenance check-up now and then. Every year, more than 49,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer. By 2025 more than 3 million Australians will have diabetes, and heart disease kills more Australian women than any other illness. But simple health checks are a quick and easy defence tactic against these diseases.

Ideally, you should be checking in with your GP at least once a year. “This is your chance to get the complete picture of your health, as well as to track your progress over time,” explains Dr Judith Volkar. Make sure you put the following items on your checklist.

1. Blood pressure

Get this reading taken every two years and during routine doctor’s visits to confirm you’re in the healthy range (less than 120/80mmHg). Increase the checks to at least once a year if you’re 40 or over and have high blood pressure.

2. Cholesterol

In Australia, 51% of adults have high cholesterol (that’s 6.4 million people!). Lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol instantly reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke, so get tested every five years. For good heart health your total blood cholesterol should be less than 4.0mmol/L.

3. Blood Glucose

Blood glucose checks are important as they can detect diabetes or pre-diabetes. Being overweight is one of the major factors influencing the development of type 2 diabetes, so it's particularly important to have a blood glucose test if you're carrying a few extra kilos.

4. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Being overweight increases your risk of many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. To figure out if you're in the healthy weight range, ask your doctor to check your Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist measurements.

5. Mammogram

Women of all ages should do regular breast self-checks, but once you hit your 40s you have access to free breast screenings, vital for detecting any potential cancers early on. If you're 50-69 it's recommended you get screened every two years.

6. Pap Smear

The National Cervical Screening Program recommends women aged 18-69 have a Pap test every two years. Doing this can help prevent up to 90% of the most common type of cervical cancer.

7. Skin Cancer

The sooner a skin cancer is identified, the better the treatment outcome. Develop a regular habit (every three months) of checking your skin for new spots or changes to existing freckles or moles and if you notice anything new or unusual, see your doctor immediately.