Well-Woman Care
Integrated Preventive Care and Screenings for Women of All Ages
At Loyola Medicine, we believe in preventive care and routine health screenings through ongoing well-woman care. Time and time again, we have seen how this approach saves women from debilitating conditions.
In addition to preventive care, women also need primary care, dental care, vision care, hearing screenings, advice about diet and fitness and diagnostic testing when problems arise.
Loyola’s doctors recommend that you have routine screenings at particular stages of life, and your healthcare team will encourage you to have these tests as part of your preventive care. We suggest preventive health measures for women in each of these age groups:
- Ages 11 to 18
- Ages 19 to 39
- Ages 40 to 64
- Ages 65+
To keep track of upcoming tests, we also suggest that you sign up for myLoyola, a private online information portal; it can help you keep track of your health, immunizations, test results, preventive care and upcoming appointments.
Why Choose Loyola for Well-Woman Care?
Loyola provides truly integrated clinical care for all aspects of women’s healthcare, bringing together specialists in all areas to provide women with advanced care in a compassionate environment.
Because convenience has to be an integral part of preventive care, Loyola has dozens of centers in the west and southwest suburbs where we provide comprehensive women’s healthcare and primary care. At all locations, you will find experienced clinicians and advanced practice nurses whose goal is to care for you across a lifetime of changes, physical development, illnesses and growth.
As part of an academic medical center, Loyola’s expert clinicians perform and teach the latest surgical techniques and medical treatments in numerous locations across the Chicago area.
Our doctors and advanced practice nurses provide preventive care for women of all ages, from young girls to menopausal women. In addition, our nurses have earned Magnet status, which means they have been recognized for delivering the highest level of care.
Preventive Health and Screening for Adolescents from Ages 11 to 18
As a girl approaches adulthood, there is a tremendous amount of physical and emotional development. For young women ages 11 to 18, your Loyola doctor will focus on these preventive health measures:
- Alcohol, tobacco and street drugs screening
- Assessment for juvenile diabetes
- Blood pressure screening
- Evaluation for eating disorders
- Food, nutrition and exercise education
- Measurement of height, weight and body mass index (BMI)
- Oral hygiene and dental healthcare
- Pap smear, for those at early risk
- Screenings for depression, anxiety and panic attacks
- Vision screening
- Vitamin use
Preventive Health and Screening for Women from Ages 19 to 39
For women in their 20s and 30s, establishing a healthy lifestyle now can provide a foundation for lifelong health and wellness. Loyola’s women’s healthcare providers will discuss nutrition and exercise, as well as health risks such as smoking, alcohol, drugs and sex.
Regular medical care can help you to avoid chronic and debilitating illnesses as you age. Your healthcare team can provide diagnosis and treatment for a range of health conditions, as well as referrals to specialists if needed.
Many women in their 20s and 30s plan to have children. For these women, Loyola’s women’s healthcare providers focus on helping our patients reach optimal health prior to becoming pregnant, as well as providing prenatal care throughout a woman’s pregnancy.
For women ages 19 to 39, your doctor will focus on these preventive health measures:
- Blood pressure screening
- Cancer screenings
- Cholesterol testing
- Clinical breast exams
- Evaluation for eating disorders
- Food, nutrition and exercise education
- Mammograms for women with family history of early breast cancer or ovarian cancer
- Measurement of height, weight and body mass index (BMI)
- Oral hygiene and dental healthcare
- Pap smear
- Screenings for sexually transmitted diseases
- Skin cancer screenings
- Substance abuse counseling, if needed
- Thyroid disease screenings
- Vision screening
- Vitamin and calcium consumption
Preventive Health and Screening for Women from Ages 40 to 64
Between the ages of 40 and 64, physical and emotional changes are occurring in women’s bodies. Your ovaries gradually stop producing estrogen during your 40s or 50s, causing you to stop menstruating and experience menopause (usually occurring between 40 and 55). Your life, home, family and work may also be changing.
Your Loyola healthcare team aims to keep you healthy and active, providing care for any ongoing medical issues and providing preventive care. For women ages 40 to 64, your doctor will focus on these preventive health measures:
- Blood pressure screening
- Bone density screening for women at risk
- Cholesterol screening
- Clinical breast exams
- Colonoscopy
- Diabetes screening
- Evaluation for eating disorders
- Food, nutrition and exercise education
- Glaucoma screening for women with risk factors
- Heart screening for women with risk factors
- Hormone therapy
- Immunizations
- Mammograms (for women for ages 40-49, screening every 1-2 years; after age 50, annual screenings)
- Measurement of height, weight and body mass index (BMI)
- Oral hygiene and dental healthcare
- Pap smear
- Screenings for sexually transmitted diseases
- Skin cancer screening
- Substance abuse counseling if needed
- Thyroid disease and cancer screenings (for postmenopausal women, signs and symptoms should be assessed and tested as needed)
- Vision testing
- Vitamin and calcium consumption
Preventive Health and Screening for Women Ages 65+
For older women, nutrition, exercise, regular medical checkups and age-appropriate health screenings are very important. Your Loyola healthcare team will focus on your overall well-being and strength, keeping an eye on your bones and heart and your adjustments to the changes in life.
During your appointment, your Loyola doctor will focus on these preventive health measures:
- Blood pressure screening
- Bone density screening for women at risk
- Cholesterol
- Clinical breast exams
- Colonoscopy
- Diabetes screening
- Evaluation for eating disorders
- Food, nutrition and exercise education
- Glaucoma screening for women with risk factors
- Hearing screening
- Heart screening for women with risk factors
- Hormone therapy
- Immunizations
- Incontinence and other urogynecologic conditions
- Mammograms annually
- Measurement of height, weight and body mass index (BMI)
- Oral hygiene and dental healthcare
- Pap smear
- Skin cancer screening
- Substance abuse counseling if needed
- Thyroid disease and cancer screenings (for postmenopausal women, signs and symptoms should be assessed and tested as needed)
- Vision testing
- Vitamin and calcium consumption
Ongoing Research to Improve Future Treatments of Women’s Health
Loyola’s expert women’s healthcare program is actively pursuing new research with a focus on patient-centered outcomes, including studies on:
- Advanced forms of surgery
- Aging and pelvic floor function
- Autoimmune disorders
- Birth trauma and incontinence
- Botox® injections and urinary incontinence
- Endocrine disorders
- Endometriosis
- Infertility issues
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Multifetal pregnancies
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Polycystic ovaries
- Predictors of normal fertility
- Reproductive technology
- Surgery and urinary incontinence
- Uterine fibroids
As an academic medical center, Loyola is dedicated to improving future treatments by conducting research on new diagnostics and treatments. Loyola’s patients benefit from research discoveries made here; read about Loyola’s current clinical trials.