Women's Health Essentials: What Every Woman Should Know

Cervical Screening

In Australia, the Cervical Screening Test is recommended every five years for women aged 25 to 74 who have ever been sexually active. It replaced the old Pap smear and is better at picking up the virus that causes cervical cancer before any actual changes occur in the cervix.

A lot of women feel embarrassed or put it off because it's been a while. That's okay. Just come in. It takes a few minutes and we can have a chat beforehand if you're nervous about it. The test itself isn't something to be afraid of.

Breast Health

You don't need to do formal monthly self-exams the way we used to recommend. What matters is that you know what feels normal for you so you notice if something changes. A lump, skin that looks dimpled, a nipple that's changed shape or started producing discharge. Any of these are worth getting checked out.

BreastScreen Australia offers free mammograms every two years for women aged 50 to 74. If breast cancer runs in your family, or you've had concerns in the past, come and talk to me about whether you should be starting earlier or having additional imaging.

Bone Health

Osteoporosis doesn't cause pain until something breaks. That's what makes it tricky. Women lose bone density faster than men, especially in the first few years after menopause when oestrogen levels drop. By the time someone fractures a wrist or a hip, they often had no idea anything was happening.

Calcium through your diet, some regular weight-bearing exercise, and not smoking all help. If you're in your 50s or have a family history of osteoporosis, ask me about whether a bone density scan makes sense for you. It's just an X-ray, it's straightforward.

Heart Health

This one catches women off guard. Heart disease is actually the number one cause of death in Australian women, ahead of breast cancer. But because we associate it with men, women often don't realise they're at risk and don't always recognise the symptoms when they happen.

Women's heart attacks don't always look like the movies. Fatigue, nausea, back pain, and feeling breathless without obvious cause can all be signs. If something feels off, please don't brush it off. And from a prevention point of view, getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly is basic but genuinely important. I'd suggest every woman over 45 have a cardiovascular risk check as part of her routine care.

Mental Health

Women experience depression and anxiety at higher rates than men, and hormones play a real part in that. The months after having a baby, the lead-up to menopause, even just the hormonal shifts of a regular cycle can affect how someone feels from week to week. It's not in your head, and it's not something you just have to push through.

If you're struggling, bring it up at your next appointment. We can put a Mental Health Care Plan in place that gives you access to bulk-billed psychology sessions through Medicare. You don't need to be at crisis point to ask for that.

Reproductive and Hormonal Health

Painful periods, very heavy bleeding, and irregular cycles are some of the most under-reported symptoms I see. Women often assume it's just how their body is, or they've been told it's normal. Sometimes it is. But conditions like endometriosis and PCOS are also genuinely common, genuinely underdiagnosed, and genuinely treatable.

The same goes for questions about contraception, trying to conceive, or anything to do with perimenopause. These aren't awkward topics. They're exactly what I'm here for.

Regular Check-ups

There's no one-size-fits-all schedule. What you need depends on your age, your family history, whether you smoke, and a handful of other things. But if you haven't had a proper check-up in the last couple of years, that's a good place to start. We can go through everything together and work out what's actually relevant for you.