You Manage Everything. You Can Manage Your Health, Too

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You do it all. You find sneakers and fill prescriptions, pack lunches and prep for job interviews. You juggle the world and make it look easy. And with SFCHC here to back you up, you can manage your health, too, throughout your lifetime.

It’s Never Too Late

Ideally, women should start taking care of their health as teenagers. Well-woman exams are recommended once a year starting at this age. For young women, they’re an opportunity to talk with our care providers about anything that’s bothering you, and to get treatment for things like vaginal and urinary tract infections. For teenagers and adults who are sexually active, we offer HIV and other STD testing.

About 13% of people in the U.S. who have HIV don’t know they have it.

In 2022, 18% of people in the U.S. newly diagnosed with HIV were women.

(You’ll find more important and useful facts at the end of this article)

Young women are also strongly advised to get vaccinated against HPV, the human papillomavirus. This infection is spread through sex and can lead to cervical cancer, which we’ll talk more about in a minute. Women ages 27 to 45 can often get the vaccine, too – ask your doctor.

Cervical cancer occurs when healthy cells in the cervix (where the uterus connects to the vagina) change and multiply into cancer cells. This can eventually cause extra or irregular bleeding and pain in the pelvic area or during sex. Cervical cancer rarely has symptoms in its early stages, so SFCHC provides screenings to detect dangerous cells so they can be monitored or treated. Also called a pap smear or pap test, this screening should be part of your annual exam starting at age 21.

See important facts about cervical cancer below.

Have the Life You Want

If you’re not ready for (more) kids, SFCHC has family planning services to help you stay in control. You can come to us for birth control placement (and when you’re ready, removal) and emergency contraception. We’re also here to listen and answer questions about contraceptives, STDs, and sex in general. And yes, we provide pregnancy tests, too.

When you’re ready to welcome that tiny new person into your life, SFCHC can help you roll out the red carpet. Our staff provides caring and sensitive prenatal care tailored just to you. We’re here for nutritional advice, and offer training on childbirth, breastfeeding, and infant CPR. A healthy and happy pregnancy and baby is our goal, too.

Keep Your Care Going

To help you continue your health management, SFCHC also offers mammograms. Mammograms detect signs of cancer before you might see or feel any symptoms. The risk does increase as we age, so mammograms are recommended once a year starting at age 40. At your well-woman exam, our doctors can determine if risk factors suggest you should start mammograms earlier.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the U.S. It can occur in both women with several risk factors or none.

We can also show you how to use self-exams to become familiar with your breasts and catch signs of cancer before and between mammograms.

You can be a well woman in between exams, too. Dropping unhealthy habits can lower your risk of female cancers. Ovarian cancer, for example, is a greater risk for women who smoke cigarettes, take hormones, or are overweight. Endometrial cancer affects the inner lining of the uterus. The risk of this cancer also increases with age, so start learning about it around menopause. Some of the other risk factors for endometrial cancer are surprisingly preventable:

• Excess body weight
• Lack of physical activity
• Taking hormones
• History of infertility or not having children
• Early onset of menstrual periods or late menopause
• Family history of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC or Lynch syndrome) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• History of breast or ovarian cancer

As always, healthy habits - safe sex, regular exercise, a healthy diet, living smoke-free, and drinking in moderation - lower your risk of cancer, female or not.

For You and Women Like You

All women, regardless of income, lifestyle, and family status, are at risk for female cancers. So SFCHC accepts most insurance plans and offers services on a sliding fee scale based on household size and income. It’s another way we help you be as capable managing your health as you are doing everything else.

Call us today to make an appointment at (818) 963-5690.

Resources and Information

https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/data-and-trends/statistics

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/cancer-facts/cancer-facts-for-women.html

How worried should you be about HIV? Here are some facts to help you see where you stand:

• In 2022, about 1.2 million people in the U.S. who were over 13 had HIV.
• About 13% of people in the U.S. who have HIV don’t know they have it.
• In 2022, 18% of people in the U.S. newly diagnosed with HIV were women.
• Of women who were newly diagnosed with HIV, 20% were Hispanic.
• Of women newly diagnosed with HIV, 50% were Black.
• Of women newly diagnosed with HIV, 24% were white.
• In 2022, 56% of those newly diagnosed with HIV were between the ages of 13 and 34. People ages 35 to 44 made up 37% of those newly diagnosed.

The more you know: facts about women's cancers

Cervical Cancer

• Cervical cancer is diagnosed most often in women between the ages of 35 and 44.
• Cervical cancer rates in women ages 30 to 44 increased 1.7% each year between 2012 and 2019. They decreased in women ages 20 to 24 by 11% each year, probably thanks to the HPV vaccine.
• More than 20% of cervical cancers are found in women over 65. (But it’s rarely found in women screened regularly before this age.)
• The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2025, over 13,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, and over 4,000 women will die from it.
• Black and Native American women are 65% more likely to die from cervical cancer than white women.

Breast Cancer

• Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the U.S. It can occur in both women with several risk factors or none.
• About 1 in 8 women will get invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

Author

Heather Hillstrom For several years, Heather Hillstrom has proudly provided copywriting and videography services to support SFCHC's mission of compassionate care for all who need it. She gained much of her experience and education at prominent advertising and marketing firms, with clients in healthcare, real estate, medical technology, and environmental products and activism, among others. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a radio and television campaign that aired during the Olympics. She wrote on the multi-award-winning web series NONE IN THE OVEN and her feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Many of her projects and awards can be viewed at www.hungrypictures.com.