7 Health Screening Tests All Women Should Have

Making appointments for health screenings may be one of the best ways to safeguard your quality of life and even lengthen your lifespan. Screenings provide opportunities for early detection and treatment of potentially serious diseases which often leads to better medical outcomes.

Women and men have slightly different needs when it comes to health screenings. Women are more prone to certain diseases and need to prioritise other tests for their yearly checkups. To assist you in being more proactive in maintaining your physical self, we’ve put together a list of health screenings tests all women should have.

1. Blood Pressure

A blood pressure is a routine test done during a health checkup. It’s an important indicator of your health condition as high blood pressure is considered a risk factor for many diseases. Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices, diet, diabetes, and cardiac diseases. A high blood pressure can damage organs like heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes and increase your risk of stroke and heart attacks.

2. Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that plays a role in building and maintaining cells and molecules in your body. However, too much cholesterol can result in a buildup of plaque on arterial walls. This narrows your blood vessels and puts you at increased risk of heart conditions. 

A cholesterol test measures the amount of good and bad cholesterol in your body to assess your health. If you have too much bad cholesterol or too little good cholesterol, you might need to undergo lifestyle modifications or take medications to treat the condition.

3. Pap Smear

A pap smear is an important test to check for cervical cancer. It is part of most female health screening packages in Singapore and it is recommended that women above the age of 21 go for a pap smear at least once every three years.

Catching cervical cancer early gives you more treatment options to manage the condition. There are usually no signs or outward symptoms at the beginning stages and a pap smear is one of the best ways to diagnose cervical cancer. It’s also a slow progressing disease and cure rates are high when caught early.

4. Mammogram

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Singapore and the risk of developing the condition increases with age. To protect yourself against breast cancer you should schedule a mammogram at least once every 2 years.

A mammogram is an X-ray of your breasts to check for abnormalities. When the cancer is still small, treatment methods can be less aggressive while still leading to positive outcomes. This reduces incidences of side-effects while still effectively killing off the cancer cells.

5. STD Profile

Sexual health is an important part of overall healthcare management. Many STDs have a long incubation period so it’s important to have regular screenings to check if you’ve contracted any. Several STDs are also curable so getting an STD test in Singapore is the best way to ensure you’re in top shape.

6. Bone Mineral Density

Checking your bone mineral density allows doctors to determine mineral content. Low levels of minerals in your bones may indicate osteoporosis, a condition where bones lack strength and may fracture easily. Women are more prone to osteoporosis as compared to men and the risk increases as they get older. 

Women who have undergone menopause, are above the age of 65, have a family history of osteoporosis, or have other risk factors should go for regular testing to ensure their bones are healthy. 

Learn More: Why is Regular Health Screening Important?

7. Blood Glucose

A blood glucose test is usually used to test for diabetes. It’s included as a routine part of most health screenings and can indicate if you have a high blood sugar level.

Blood glucose screenings during health screenings are usually to test if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. While there may be no cure, identifying the onset of the condition early can mean better management via lifestyle changes.
Established in 2019, Sunway Medical Centre in Singapore is part of the Sunway Healthcare Group with a network of hospitals and health services in Malaysia and Singapore. We offer men’s and women’s health screening and outpatient consultations. Contact us today to find out more about our services and make an appointment for your health screening.