NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–May 11, 2012. In recognition of National Women’s Health Week, May 13 – May 19, Planned Parenthood is urging women to prioritize and take charge of their health by scheduling a checkup with their health care provider. Monday, May 14, which marks National Women’s Checkup Day, provides the perfect opportunity for women to take time to schedule gynecological and other preventive care visits.
“So often as women we are busy caring for the needs of our families that we forget to make time for our own health. National Women’s Health Week serves as an important reminder of how important regular exams and health screenings are for detecting life-threatening diseases like breast cancer, cervical cancer, and HIV,” said Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards. “Early detection and treatment of these diseases saves lives, and Planned Parenthood works every day to make sure women have access to the care they need to be healthy.”
To help women start the conversation about what their checkups should cover, Planned Parenthood has created an infographic checklist that includes screenings and tests that women can discuss with their provider during their visit. The infographic will be made available on Planned Parenthood’s newly launched Tumblr blog at plannedparenthood.tumblr.com and will be shared on the organization’s social media properties.
Last year alone, Planned Parenthood provided nearly 750,000 breast exams, birth control for more than two million people, 770,000 Pap tests, and more than four million tests and treatment for STDs. For many women, Planned Parenthood is the only health care provider they will see all year.
“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more women now have better access to vital health care services: about 12.8 million women of reproductive age will become newly eligible for health insurance, and insurance plans will soon be required to cover basic care such as pelvic exams and birth control without co-pays,” said Richards. “We have to maintain this progress.”
As the nation’s leading provider of reproductive health care, one in five women has turned to Planned Parenthood at some point in her life for professional, nonjudgmental, and confidential care.
- Need to schedule a checkup or find a health center? Go to plannedparenthood.org or visit our health center locator.
- On birth control? Take this opportunity to talk with your provider about your contraception options and whether the method you’re using is ideal for both your current life and future plans. My Method provides personalized information on birth control methods and can help you start the conversation.
- Not sure if you should get tested for STDs? The Check will help determine whether tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea or HIV are recommended.
Visit www.plannedparenthood.org to make an appointment for a well-woman exam at a health center near you.
Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate nearly 800 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.
Source: plannedparenthood.org
