Let’s discuss the 3 most important checkup that is compulsory for every woman, especially between the ages of 20-63.
1) Mammogram and Self Breast Examination(SBE)
Cancer of the mammary gland is a great killer disease that affect women mostly with a slight percentage in men, therefore a routine clinical and self examination is required.
The SBE involves a woman routinely examining changes once a month for a whole year. She is to record any form of lumps, sign of dimples, colour change or abnormal discharge and report it to the doctor. This examination can be done with your bare hands or using an examination kit.
SBE is not a very sure way to detect cancer, therefore women are advice to go for a clinical mammography. In the hospital a doctor is well trained to carry out different tests and record changes, they can detect a cancerous cell earlier than in SBE.
2) Pap Smear or Cervical Screening
The Smear test is done by collecting cells from the outer opening of the cervix, and is for detecting cancerous cells in the opening of the uterus or womb or in the colon.
The test is recommended for women between the ages of 20 to 65,once they are sexually active.
Human papillomavirus infection(HPV) is a form of STD, therefore a routine clinical examination is required. The screening is recommended every three to five years, that is if the results are normal.
Uterine Fibroid are muscle tumours of the uterus and most women do not have any symptoms indicating the presence of the disease, others may have painful or heavy periods and lower back ache and can make it difficult to get pregnant.
Fibroid is a genetic disease determined by hormone levels, and can be caused by obesity and high consumption of red meat. The cure is a. Medical surgery.
The need to have q routine pelvic examination and gynecologic ultrasound will help in combating the disease early.