Women’s Health Week: Five Checks Worth Booking

Health Hub · Women’s health

Women’s Health Week (7 to 11 September) exists for a simple reason: women are often the ones organising everyone else’s health care, and their own checks are the ones that slip. If it has been a while, this is a practical list of the five checks most worth catching up on, what each involves, and when it is due.

1. Cervical screening

The Cervical Screening Test replaced the two-yearly Pap smear and is now done every five years for women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74. It looks for HPV, the virus that causes almost all cervical cancers. If the idea of the test has been putting you off, ask about self-collection: you can collect your own vaginal swab behind a curtain, and it is just as accurate for detecting HPV as a clinician-collected sample. Overdue, or not sure when your last test was? Your GP can check your history through the National Cancer Screening Register at your appointment. More on our women’s health page.

2. Breast screening and breast awareness

BreastScreen Queensland provides free screening mammograms every two years for women aged 50 to 74, and women in their 40s can also access the program. No referral is needed for BreastScreen, but your GP is the right first stop if you have noticed a lump, skin or nipple change, or new breast pain, or if you have a strong family history and want to talk through what screening schedule suits you.

3. A heart health check

Heart disease remains a major cause of illness and death for Australian women. Risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol often have no obvious symptoms. A Medicare Heart Health Check (item 699) is available for eligible patients aged 30 and over: a dedicated appointment where your GP measures blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, reviews your family history and lifestyle, and gives you a clear picture of your risk. It sits within our broader health assessments, and it is bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders.

4. A skin check

Queensland’s skin cancer rates are the highest in the world, and skin checks are not just for men who worked outdoors. A full body skin check is a head-to-toe examination with a dermatoscope, bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders, and how often you need one depends on your skin and history. Our guide on how often to have a skin check covers the detail, and checking your own skin between visits takes ten minutes every few months.

5. Perimenopause and menopause care

Irregular cycles, hot flushes, poor sleep, mood changes, brain fog and heavy bleeding are common through the menopause transition, and none of them have to be simply endured. A longer GP appointment gives time to talk through symptoms properly and discuss options, from lifestyle measures to menopausal hormone therapy where it is appropriate for you. It is also a natural time to review contraception, iron levels if bleeding has been heavy, and bone health. Our women’s health page covers the full range of care, including IUD insertion.

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