National Women’s Health Week

It’s never too early or late to work toward being your healthiest you! This National Women’s Health Week, we want to help you take control of your health. Take the first step! Join the National Women’s Health Week celebration (/www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw) make a pledge to take at least one step for better health.

Whether you’re in your 50s, 60s, 70s or beyond, do you know what you can do to live a healthier life? Pledge to follow one or all of the steps below. Then get the conversation started at your next well-woman visit with this list.

A well-woman visit is a checkup. During your 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. 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!

And the good news is you don’t have to worry about cost. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most private health plans must cover your annual well-woman visit along with many other preventive care benefits. That means the visit will be free for you, even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible. If you don’t have insurance, you can still see a provider by finding a health center near you that will charge you what you can afford, based on your income.

You’re in your 50s! Take these steps for better health.

To live a healthy life, I will:

General health

• Get an annual well-woman visit
• Get my blood pressure checked
• Eat healthy
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days
• Quit smoking or don’t start
• Limit alcohol use
• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Ask what other shots I need
• Ask about daily aspirin use (55 and older)
• Talk to my doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence

Reproductive and sexual health

To live a healthy life, I will:

General health

• Get an annual well-woman visit
• Get my blood pressure checked
• Eat healthy
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days (65 and older who are fit and have no limiting chronic conditions)
• Talk with my doctor about a physical activity program that is appropriate (65 and older with low fitness levels or chronic conditions)
• Quit smoking or don’t start up again
• Limit alcohol use
• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Get a shingles shot
• Get pneumonia shots (65 and older)
• Ask what other shots I need
• Ask about daily aspirin use
• Talk to my doctor about preventing falls
• Talk to my doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence
• Talk to my doctor about when I need a Pap test and HPV test (65 and younger)
• Talk to my doctor about my risk for sexually transmitted infections and need for screening
• Get an HIV test at least once in my lifetime (65 and younger)

Diseases and conditions

• Talk to my doctor about getting my cholesterol checked if I have a family history of heart problems
• Get tested for diabetes if I am overweight or obese
• Talk to my doctor about my family history of cancers
• Get a mammogram every other year
• Get screened for colorectal cancer
• Ask about lung cancer screening if I am a current or past smoker
• Talk to my doctor about osteoporosis screening
• Get screened for hepatitis C if I was born between 1945 and 1965
• Talk to my doctor about getting screened for hepatitis B
• Talk to my doctor about stress, depression, and other mental health concerns

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You’re in your 70s! Take these steps for better health.

To live a healthy life, I will:

General health

• Get an annual well-woman visit
• Get my blood pressure checked
• Eat healthy
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days (women who are fit and have no limiting chronic conditions)
• Talk with my doctor about a physical activity program that is appropriate (women with low fitness levels or chronic conditions)
• Quit smoking or don’t start up again
• Limit alcohol use
• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Get a shingles shot if I haven’t had one before
• Get pneumonia shots if I haven’t had them before
• Ask what other shots I need
• Ask about daily aspirin use
• Talk to my doctor about preventing falls
• Talk to my doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence
• Talk to my doctor about my risk for sexually transmitted infections and need for screening
• Talk to my doctor about any hearing or vision problems

Diseases and conditions

• Talk to my doctor about getting my cholesterol checked if I have a family history of heart problems
• Talk to my doctor about my family history of cancers Get a mammogram every other year (74 and younger)
• Get screened for colorectal cancer (75 and younger)
• Ask about lung cancer screening if I am a current or past smoker
• Talk to my doctor about osteoporosis screening
• Talk to my doctor about getting screened for hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• Talk to my doctor about stress, depression, and other mental health concerns

You’re in your 80s! Take these steps for better health.

General health

• Get an annual well-woman visit
• Get my blood pressure checked
• Eat healthy
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days (women who are fit and have no limiting chronic conditions)
• Talk with my doctor about a physical activity program that is appropriate (women with low fitness levels or chronic conditions)
• Quit smoking
• Limit alcohol use
• Get a seasonal flu shot
• Get a shingles shot if I haven’t had one before Get pneumonia shots if I haven’t had them before
• Ask what other shots I need
• Talk to my doctor about preventing falls
• Talk to my doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence
• Talk to my doctor about my risk for sexually transmitted infections and need for screening
• Talk to my doctor about any hearing or vision problems

Diseases and conditions

• Talk to my doctor about stress, depression, and other mental health concerns