Why Women Can't Afford to Wait

Life pulls us in a million directions — busy workdays, bedtime battles with the kids, and endless errands. So if your annual checkup keeps slipping to the bottom of your list, you’re not alone. In fact, 70% of millennial women struggle to make their health a top priority. But the truth is, protecting your well being is just as important as any other task.

Nearly 50% of women skip important preventive care appointments and screenings. The consequences of that can range from slightly inconvenient (hello, cavities) to life-altering (like missing an early cancer diagnosis). Consider this your sign to bump your health to the top of your list.

Why women put off preventive care 

“It’s easy [for women] to push off caring for [themselves] because we are prioritizing everybody else’s health,” says April Wilson, MD, MPH, FACPM, a preventive care specialist and associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, CA. A full 58% of US women put care for others — children, spouses, and other family members — ahead of their health. 

That’s only part of the picture. Other reasons women put off getting checked include: 

• Not having enough time 

• Difficulty in scheduling appointments 

• Not knowing which tests or screenings to get and when 

• Out-of-pocket costs 

• Anxiety about testing, including feeling like tests are too invasive   

• Thinking preventive care services aren’t covered by insurance (Spoiler: Most are.)

There’s also the tendency to think, “I’m healthy — I work out, no one in my family has had cancer or high cholesterol. So what do I need a screening for?” but healthy people should equally prioritize preventative care. Since you don’t have symptoms that regularly bring you into contact with healthcare providers, signs of a serious condition are less likely  to be caught … unless you go for your checkups.“Screening is intended for people who are low risk, who don't necessarily have a family history, to catch something that we wouldn't otherwise catch. And most of the screening guidelines are fairly conservative,” says Dr. Wilson. That means that, typically, when done as recommended, the benefits of screening outweigh the risks of issues like false positives and needing further testing, she says.  

Why preventive care is so critical 

“It reduces the risk of major chronic diseases and reduces premature mortality,” says JoAnn E. Manson, MD, MPH, DrPH, Chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston — whether that’s cancer or cardiovascular disease. Start preventative care early, and you may also cut your risk of developing a life-threatening condition in the first place, she says.

For US women, 198 out of every 100,000 deaths annually are avoidable, research shows — and screenings and other care services play a key role in reducing that number. In fact, one survey linked seeing your doctor regularly to living two years longer. 

Let’s get more specific: 

• Regular Pap smears cut cervical cancer rates and death by around 80%. And studies show that the risk of developing invasive cervical cancer is up to 10 times higher for women who aren’t screened.

• Almost 75% of coronary heart disease in women is preventable, according to the American Heart Association. Knowing your numbers, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels, plus making lifestyle changes, like eating healthy and exercising, play a big role in preventing heart disease, says Manson. 

• Screening for colorectal cancer was associated with a whopping 67% reduction in death risk, compared to no screening at all, according to one study. 

Own your health 

“It's empowering for people to understand that they can take charge of their own health,” says Manson. Start by: 

• Talking to your doctor. If you’re uncomfortable with (or super anxious about) a specific screening, ask your doctor about other options. There are different types of screening tests for colorectal cancer, for example. Your doctor can also clue you in on whether to have a screening sooner, particularly if you have a family history or are at a higher-than-average risk.

• Finding an accountability partner. It could be your BFF, sibling, partner — but pick a deadline (example: get a mammogram by the end of the year) and then check in with each other. Having someone hold you accountable can make you far more likely to actually follow through with the appointment, says Wilson.

• Using our scheduling tool. You’ve got enough on your plate, so we created a free and convenient tool — specifically with you in mind — to help you better prioritize your health. It tells you exactly which appointments and screenings you need and then lets you schedule them right then and there. Consider it crossed off your list.