Don't wait till it's too late: Here are some affordable health screening options for women

As much as we can insure ourselves to tide us through periods of unemployment and bad health, we can’t buy our way to health.

That’s why it’s always about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, complemented with prevention and early detection!

Even if you lead a really healthy lifestyle, some conditions are hereditary and can be picked up early through routine screening.

It’s also human nature to have the “I’m not that unlucky” mindset, which might delay your decisions to go for health screening.

I mean, we all don’t want to be ill.

But all it takes is a few hours for peace of mind.

In some cases, it’s a few hours in exchange for early treatment.

TL;DR: Affordable health screening options for women

There are many clinics offering health screening services for women, but some of them can be quite costly or are offered as packages.

On top of your basic health screenings and tests, there are a few additional screenings that you should go for as a woman:

• Pap Smear
• HPV Test
• Mammogram

The Singapore Cancer Society Clinic offers the above screening services for free for Singaporeans, provided that you’ve met their eligibility conditions.

As part of the Screen for Life programme by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), selected CHAS clinics and polyclinics offer these screening services at highly-subsidised rates to encourage Singaporeans to go for regular screenings.

What are some recommended health screenings for women?

There are some standard tests that are recommended at different stages, regardless of your gender and those tests should be included in most, if not all, basic health screening packages.

Regular screenings are recommended for the following conditions:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• High Blood Cholesterol
• Colorectal Cancer (a.k.a colon cancer)

However, as women, we are also at risk for cervical cancer and breast cancer. Similarly, routine screening for these conditions can also help in early detection and successful treatment.

Papanicolaou test, a.k.a. Pap Smear – cervical cancer

Do I need to go for a Pap Smear?

More commonly known as the Pap Smear, this test takes a sample of cells from your cervix to detect any cell changes in the cervix, which is a potential sign of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer was ranked the 10th most common cancer among women, based on a report by Singapore Cancer Registry done in 2015.

Women who are aged 25 – 29 years old and are sexually active are recommended to take the Pap Smear.

Those of you who are vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is one of the main causes of cervical cancer, don’t think you can skip this!

There are other subtypes of HPV that your vaccination does not protect you against, so you are still recommended to have your Pap smears even though you are vaccinated against the HPV.

How often do I have to go for a Pap Smear?

As early detection is key, you are encouraged to go for a Pap Smear once every three years.

What are the affordable options?

A regular Pap Smear test will typically cost you around $50 – $100 per test.

This article was first published in Seedly.