Women's Health & Family Planning Taree

A women's health check is a consultation focused on the health issues that affect women at different stages of life. Depending on your age and history, it may include blood pressure and heart health checks, cervical screening, breast awareness discussion, screening for sexually transmitted infections, a review of your menstrual cycle and contraception, bone health assessment and conversations about mental wellbeing.

The doctor will also ask about family history, as some conditions such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis carry hereditary risk factors. Rather than following a fixed checklist, a good women's health check is tailored to the individual — a woman in her twenties may focus on contraception and cervical screening, while a woman in her fifties may discuss menopause, heart health and bone density. It's also an opportunity to raise anything you've been putting off, no matter how minor it seems.

In Australia, the Cervical Screening Test is recommended every five years for women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 who have ever been sexually active. It replaced the two-yearly Pap smear in 2017 and looks for human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus responsible for most cervical cancers, making it a more accurate early detection method.

Your first test is due at age 25 or two years after your last Pap smear, whichever is later. If HPV is detected, your doctor will explain the follow-up process, which may involve repeat testing sooner or referral for further investigation. Self-collection is now an option for eligible patients too, allowing you to take your own vaginal sample in private at the clinic — something to discuss with your GP if it would make screening more comfortable for you.

Australians have access to a wide range of contraceptive methods, and the best fit depends on your health, age, lifestyle and plans for children. Options include the combined oral contraceptive pill and the progestogen-only pill, which are taken daily; long-acting reversible contraceptives such as the hormonal implant, hormonal IUD and copper IUD, which last between three and ten years depending on the type; the contraceptive injection, given every 12 weeks; vaginal rings; barrier methods such as condoms, which also protect against sexually transmitted infections; and permanent options such as vasectomy and tubal ligation.

Each method varies in effectiveness, cost, side effects and convenience. A GP can explain how each option works, discuss any health considerations that may rule certain methods in or out and help you weigh up what matters most to you.