Did you know this week is National Women's Health Week? It's the perfect time for women to take charge of their health by scheduling a checkup.
The health of women affects our families, our partners and our communities. As we honor our mothers this week, we should also take time to encourage them, and all of the women we know and love, to schedule the regular checkups they need to live longer, healthier and happier lives.
Regular checkups can rule out or detect life-threatening diseases. Cervical cancer, breast cancer and many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are treatable when caught early, which makes getting regular checkups all the more crucial.
At Planned Parenthood Health Systems, we know firsthand the importance of checkups in preventing more serious health issues. Our health center in Vienna offers a wide range of preventive health services, including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, testing and treatment of STIs, breast health services, the HPV vaccine, and reproductive and sexual health education. Last year alone, over 800 women, men and young adults in West Virginia and just across the river in Ohio turned to us for quality, affordable preventive health care.
We work every day to keep women healthy, and our doors are open to everyone. During National Women's Health Week, I urge every woman to take time to make an appointment for a preventive checkup with her health care provider. Early detection and treatment save lives.
You can learn more about women's health and find a Planned Parenthood health center near you online at www.plannedparenthood.org. Please don't wait. Your health is too important.
Rebecca Eaton
Vienna
