Women experience many unique health issues — for example, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. Other health issues that also affect men often pose specific challenges for women.
Women are also at risk for diseases like breast and cervical cancer. Routine screening is key to identifying problems early and making sure women get the treatment they need before the disease becomes incurable.
As a woman, having a better understanding of your body and your needs can increase your overall health and well-being. While your doctor is your best partner in making healthy changes and providing individualized care, we can provide information about specific health issues and how they affect women.
Click on a topic below to learn more:
Mental health
Taking care of your mental health is important to your overall well-being, but stigma related to mental health conditions may prevent many women from asking for help. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, you deserve to feel supported and we encourage you to share it with someone you trust. Contact your care team to talk about how you are feeling and what treatment options may be available.
You may take a free, online mental health screening to help you decide if your recent thoughts or behaviors may be related to depression. The screening is completely confidential and anonymous. You will see your results, as well as recommendations and resources, immediately after you complete the questionnaire.
If you need urgent support, you may call Vaya’s Behavioral Health Crisis Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at or call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24-hour, confidential support.
If you or someone you know is currently in crisis, get help as soon as possible. Also, reach out if any early warning signs are identified, especially if the behavior is new or has increased recently.
- Call 911 in emergency and life-threatening situations.
- Call Vaya’s Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 1-800-849-6127, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis.
- Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24-hour, confidential support. Specific resources are available for veterans and survivors of suicide attempts, disaster, and loss. There are also resources available about cultural background, gender, race or ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identity, disability, religious affiliation, and age.
Physical health
Cancer is a concern for anyone. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. Risk factors vary for each type of cancer, but common ones include smoking, drinking alcohol, and being overweight. Many cancer deaths can be prevented by regular screenings for early detection. When cancer is detected early, it has a better chance of being curable. There are additional risk factors that are out of your control like age, race, and family history, but it is still important to be aware of them and discuss them with your doctor. Making healthy choices when possible – including eating fresh fruits and vegetables, minimizing processed foods, and staying physically active – can help decrease risk for multiple cancers.
Types of cancer that most often affect women are:
- Breast: Regular self-breast exams and annual mammograms starting at 40 years old can help detect breast cancer early.
- Colorectal: Routine colon cancer screening starts at 45 years old. Screening can include tests you complete at home, depending on your risk factors.
- Lung: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Quitting tobacco products and avoiding secondhand smoke are the most effective ways to reduce your risk. Lung cancer screening is recommended for people 50-80 years old who currently smoke or previously smoked heavily. Environmental radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Learn more about radon from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
- Cervical: Pap smears and HPV screenings can help detect cervical cancer early and should begin at 21 years old. The human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer.
- Endometrial, ovarian, and gynecologic cancers: Regular visits to your gynecologist to discuss reproductive organ health can make a difference in preventing these types of cancer.
- Skin: Protecting your skin from sun exposure is the best way to lower your skin cancer risk by routinely using sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30. Seeing a dermatologist annually to check your skin is also an important way to screen skin cancer.
Making healthy lifestyle choices and getting screenings recommended by your doctor are two ways to lower your risk of cancer. To learn more from the CDC, visit Cancer and Women and Women’s Health.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women in the United States. Knowing the risk factors can help you make healthy heart choices. Risk factors include:
- Increasing age (after menopause)
- Family history of early onset heart disease (diagnosed before 60 years old)
- Tobacco use
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Weight
- Diet high in saturated fat
- Diabetes
- Physical inactivity
- Stress and mood
Lifestyle changes can lower your risk for heart disease. Being proactive and making good choices to improve your wellness can play a significant role in preventing heart disease and other health conditions. Steps you can take to lessen your risk include:
- Get regular blood pressure checks and make sure it consistently meets goal.
- Stop using tobacco.
- Get a screening for diabetes and keep blood sugar in a normal range.
- Monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and ensure levels are in goal range.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Eat healthy and get regular physical activity.
- Limit drinking.
- Manage stress.
In addition to the typical signs of a heart attack, women may experience the following:
- Neck, jaw, shoulder, or upper back discomfort without chest pain
- Upper belly discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
For more information and resources provided by the CDC, visit Women and Heart Disease.
A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain stops or is reduced, cutting off the flow of oxygen the brain needs. Having heart disease or other heart-related concerns like atrial fibrillation can increase your risk of stroke. Strokes share many risk factors with heart disease, such as age, tobacco use, high cholesterol and blood pressure, weight, physical inactivity, and diabetes.
Women also have unique risk factors for stroke like:
- High blood pressure during pregnancy
- Types of birth control medicines, especially when combined with tobacco use
Taking the following actions can lower your risk of stroke:
- Regular physical activity
- Regular blood pressure checks and managing your blood pressure
- Tobacco cessation
- Healthy eating
- Managing cholesterol as directed by your doctor
Stroke symptoms can include:
- Facial drooping
- Arm and/or leg weakness
- Slurred speech
For more information and resources provided by the CDC, visit About Women and Stroke.
Menopause occurs when your menstrual cycle is completely absent for one year. As this happens, ovaries stop releasing eggs and producing estrogen and progesterone. Menopause typically occurs between 45-55 years old, with an average age of 52 years old. It is a process with symptoms that can begin eight to ten years before your periods completely stop.
Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can range from minimal to severe. Talk with your doctor to decide the best way to manage your symptoms, which may include:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
- Urgent and frequent need to urinate
- Difficulty sleeping
- Irritability and depression
- Dry skin, eyes, and mouth
- Tender breasts
- Irregular periods
After menopause, women may experience weight gain, bone density changes, and other physical symptoms. Managing these symptoms can reduce your risk factors for other diseases. Learn more about and recommended treatments.
Osteoporosis occurs when your bones become weak and brittle, putting you at high risk for fractures. Bones are constantly remodeling throughout your life, and osteoporosis happens when bone rebuilding and breakdown are out of balance. Osteoporosis has no symptoms until a fracture occurs. Proactive screening and treatment are key to fracture prevention.
Hormonal changes after menopause contributes to osteoporosis. All women should be screened at least once for osteoporosis at 65 years old with a bone density scan, a special type of x-ray. Individuals with a risk factor should be screened at an earlier age. Talk to your primary care provider to understand if you have a risk factor for osteoporosis.
Here are a few tips to help keep your bones healthy and strong:
- Exercise
Physical activity, especially weight-bearing activities like walking or weight lifting, can improve your bone density. It also keeps you strong and less likely to fall, decreasing your risk of fracture. - Eat healthy
Maintaining healthy eating habits can help improve your bone health. Focus on foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D, but low in sugar and fat. - Quit tobacco
Smoking and other forms of tobacco use speeds up bone loss, making it even harder for your body to replace it. - Reduce alcohol use
Having more than two drinks a day may increase bone loss.
If you have been told you have osteoporosis, you should talk to your doctor about ways to prevent falling. Learn more about osteoporosis, prevention, and treatment.
Other information for women to manage their health
There are many things you can do to improve your overall health and prevent health conditions. It is important to make regular visits to your doctor and have regular screenings as recommended by your health care provider. Talk to your doctor and work with your care team at Vaya to maintain the prescribed plan for getting your health under control. Visit the following wellness pages to learn more ways to stay healthy.
Vaya Total Care Perks is here to support qualifying Medicaid members with value-added services at no cost, so you can live the life you choose. Learn more about who is eligible for a free breast pump, Weight Watchers program, and more.
Your doctor will recommend what tests and preventive screenings you may need. These can include:
- Pap smear
- Mammogram
- Bone density scan
- Colorectal exams, such as colonoscopy and testing for blood in your stool.
- Blood tests such as cholesterol, hemoglobin A1C (a blood test for abnormal blood sugars), hepatitis screening, and other tests as recommended by your doctor
Visit the NCDHHS website for more information on accessing cancer screening in North Carolina.
