Staying healthy isn’t only about exercising, eating right, and getting your annual physical exam. Staying on top of your sexual and reproductive health is important too. We understand that for some women, this can get confusing as the recommendations aren’t necessarily the same for young, middle-aged and older women.
To help steer you along, we’ve created a guide to managing your sexual and reproductive health, incorporating tips from womenshealth.gov and other top sources.
In your twenties
- Start taking between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid each day. This is particularly important if you plan to get pregnant as it protects unborn babies from serious birth defects.
- Schedule a yearly appointment with a physician or gynecologist who is knowledgeable about sexual and reproductive health.
- Speak to your physician about birth control options each year.
- Let your physician know if you plan to get pregnant within the next year.
- Discuss your family health history with your physician.
- Get the HPV vaccine if you haven’t done so already.
- Make sure you receive Pap tests and HPV tests at the recommended intervals.
- Get tested for sexually transmitted infections and speak with your doctor about protecting yourself.
In your thirties
- Continue to take between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid each day.
- See your gynecologist or primary care physician for a yearly appointment to discuss your sexual and reproductive health, being sure to discuss your family health history.
- Each year, have a conversation with your physician about whether you plan to get pregnant that year. Or about your birth control options.
- Ask your physician if you need a Pap test, STI testing, and/or HPV testing.
- Get the HPV vaccine if you haven’t done so already.
- Speak with your doctor about ways to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections.
In your forties
- If you haven’t gone through menopause, continue to take between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid each day.
- See your gynecologist or physician for a yearly appointment.
- Speak to your physician about your family health history, including your cancer risk.
- If you haven’t gone through menopause, speak with your doctor about birth control options or if you plan to get pregnant within the year.
- Have a conversation with your gynecologist about perimenopause symptoms and what to expect.
- Ask your gynecologist about whether you need a mammogram.
- Ask your physician if you need a Pap test, STI testing, and/or HPV testing.
- Speak with your doctor about ways you can prevent sexually transmitted infections.
- If you are 45 or younger, consider getting the HPV vaccine if you haven’t done so.
In your fifties
- See your gynecologist or other physician for a yearly appointment and be sure to discuss your family health history.
- Speak to your doctor about menopause and menopause symptoms.
- If you still get a menstrual period, you may want to consider birth control options.
- Ask your doctor if you need STI testing, and speak with them about ways you can prevent sexually transmitted infections.
- Continue to get necessary Pap and HPV tests at the recommended intervals.
- See your doctor for a mammogram every year through age 54, and every other year from that point on (or continue on a yearly schedule).
In your sixties
- See your gynecologist or physician for a yearly appointment.
- Make sure you have a mammogram done every other year.
- Up until age 65, a Pap and HPV tests are recommended.
- For women over age 65, a Pap test can be performed if you haven’t been tested since reaching age 60.
- Speak to your physician about cancer risk.
In your seventies
- Get necessary mammograms if you are 74 or younger.
- Get testing for sexually transmitted infections, if necessary, and talk with your physician about ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
- Speak to your physician about your cancer risk.
In your eighties and nineties
- Speak to your doctor about your cancer risk.
- Get testing for sexually transmitted infections, if necessary.
If you would like to meet with a knowledgeable doctor, consider contacting Women’s Health Arizona. As Arizona’s largest ObGyn group, we’re trained and solely dedicated to delivering the best ObGyn experience in convenient and comfortable settings around Phoenix.
