Importance of preventative screenings during Women’s Health Week

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – This week is Women’s Health Week, a time to emphasize the need for women to get mammograms and cervical screenings. Those screenings are tools that can help either catch an illness early or avoid things like breast cancer and cervical cancer altogether.

David Hirsch, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Marshfield Clinic, said recommendations for mammograms differ, but generally say screenings should begin between ages 40 and 50. Hirsch said the recommendation for cervical screenings is to start at age 21 and get exams every three years after age 30. Then, exams are recommended every five years with tests for HPV as well.

“Most cervical cancer is pretty silent until it gets quite advanced and our hope is, of course, that we have things before that,” Hirsch said. “So for screening purposes, a pap is usually going to catch something long before it’s cancer.”

Hirsch said he recommends individuals talk to their primary physician about specific recommendations for screenings.

“In the U.S., cervical cancer is very low compared to worldwide because we do such a good job in general of doing cervical cancer screening with PAP testing,” Hirsch said. “So, we’re really doing well as a nation with that. Breast cancer, unfortunately, no amount of screening makes it not happen, but we can catch it earlier and treat it.”

Hirsch said there are many other health conditions that should also be routinely checked like cholesterol, diabetes and thyroid testing.

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