For too long, we have been taught to seek medical advice only when something is already wrong.
Persistent pain. Fatigue that has become impossible to ignore. Suddenly heavier periods. Disrupted sleep. Unexplained weight gain. Perimenopause symptoms that begin to interfere with daily life.
Yet much of our future health is shaped long before a disease develops.
Prevention means looking at your health earlier: understanding your risk factors, monitoring relevant indicators, keeping up with recommended screenings and recognising changes that deserve closer attention.
For women, this approach must also account for one essential reality: the body evolves through different stages of life, from puberty to menopause.
Prevention is more than screening
The words “prevention” and “screening” are often used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing.
Screening looks for a disease or abnormality before symptoms appear. This includes organised screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
Prevention is broader. It also includes:
- understanding your personal and family medical history;
- monitoring relevant health indicators;
- vaccination;
- physical activity and nutrition;
- mental health and sleep;
- recognising unusual symptoms early;
- adapting your healthcare to each stage of life.
Prevention is therefore not simply about finding out whether a disease is already present. It helps identify what may increase or reduce your risk and where action may still make a difference.
Why should prevention be designed specifically for women?
Women do not move through life with a constant hormonal environment.
The menstrual cycle, a potential pregnancy, the postpartum period, perimenopause and menopause can influence symptoms and certain health indicators. These transitions do not affect every woman in the same way, but they deserve to be considered as part of ongoing healthcare.
Periods, for example, can provide useful information about health. Very heavy bleeding may contribute to iron deficiency. A change in the menstrual cycle may reflect a hormonal transition, but depending on age and accompanying symptoms, it may also require medical attention.
Pregnancy can reveal future health risks. A history of gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related hypertension or pre-eclampsia should be taken into account in subsequent healthcare.
As menopause approaches, new questions arise. Sleep, cardiovascular health, muscle mass and bone health become increasingly important. Cardiovascular and osteoporosis risks also rise after menopause.
Effective prevention should therefore evolve with each woman rather than offering the same assessment at every age.
Pay attention to what changes in your body
A symptom being common does not necessarily make it normal or harmless.
Persistent fatigue, severe period pain, very heavy bleeding, recurring digestive problems, a significant drop in energy, insomnia, heart palpitations or brain fog can have many possible explanations.
This does not mean automatically attributing every symptom to hormones. It means considering the wider context:
- When did the symptom begin?
- Does it appear at a particular point in the menstrual cycle?
- Has it become more intense?
- Does it interfere with daily life?
- Are there other symptoms alongside it?
Tracking symptoms and how they evolve can provide more precise information during a medical consultation. It can also help distinguish a temporary variation from a lasting change that should be investigated.
Know the indicators that tell the story of your health
Prevention does not mean ordering as many tests as possible without a clear purpose.
A test is useful when it answers a specific question and when its result can lead to an appropriate action.
Depending on age, symptoms, treatments and medical history, a healthcare professional may consider:
- blood pressure;
- blood glucose and how it changes over time;
- lipid levels, including cholesterol;
- iron status in cases of fatigue or heavy periods;
- certain nutrients depending on diet and individual circumstances;
- thyroid function when symptoms suggest it may be relevant;
- kidney and liver function when appropriate.
One isolated result rarely tells the whole story. It should be interpreted alongside your age, symptoms, menstrual cycle, medical history, treatments and lifestyle.
Two women with the same laboratory result may therefore require different interpretations or follow-up plans.
Do not overlook cardiovascular health
Women’s health is still too often reduced to gynaecology and reproductive health.
Yet blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, smoking, sleep, physical activity and family history are all essential parts of women’s preventive health.
After menopause, hormonal changes can influence several cardiovascular risk factors. This can be a valuable time to reassess blood pressure, metabolic health, physical activity and everyday habits.
Cardiovascular prevention should, however, begin long before menopause. Knowing your key health indicators and how they change over time can help identify an unfavourable trend earlier.
Protect your muscles and bones
Muscle is not simply about appearance. It supports metabolic health, mobility, balance and long-term independence.
Prioritise strength training two to three times per week. This may include squats, lunges and exercises using weights, machines or resistance bands. The level of difficulty should increase gradually and remain appropriate for each person’s abilities.
Cardiovascular activity complements this foundation. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming and dancing are all good options.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, alongside muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week.
Physical activity also helps support bone health. This becomes particularly important around and after menopause, when bone loss may accelerate.
Build an eating pattern that supports your health
No single food or supplement can “optimise” your health on its own.
What matters is the overall structure of your diet: more vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole grains, nuts and healthy sources of fat such as olive oil.
Including a source of protein with every meal also helps support muscle mass. Around 30 g of protein per meal can be a practical reference point for some women, although individual needs vary according to body weight, age, physical activity and overall health.
Nutritional needs may also change over time.
Heavy periods may increase the risk of iron deficiency. A plant-based diet requires particular attention to certain nutrients, including vitamin B12. Supplements should not, however, be taken automatically. They should respond to an identified need.
Keep up with recommended screenings
Screening recommendations vary between countries and according to individual risk.
In France, cervical cancer screening is recommended between the ages of 25 and 65. Between 25 and 29, screening is based on cervical cytology. Between 30 and 65, high-risk HPV testing becomes the reference examination according to the recommended schedule.
Organised breast cancer screening is offered every two years to women aged 50 to 74 who are considered to be at average risk.
Colorectal cancer screening is recommended every two years between the ages of 50 and 74 for women and men without symptoms or specific risk factors.
These schedules apply to the general population. Screening may begin earlier or follow a different schedule for people with symptoms or a relevant personal or family history.
You should therefore not wait until you reach the age for organised screening before consulting a healthcare professional about a concerning change.
Sleep and mental health are part of prevention
Sleep is not simply a matter of comfort.
Regularly disrupted sleep can affect energy, mood, concentration and eating habits. It can also make regular physical activity more difficult to maintain.
During perimenopause, night sweats, hot flushes, anxiety and hormonal fluctuations may contribute to poorer sleep. These symptoms deserve to be discussed with a healthcare professional when they begin to affect daily life.
Mental health is equally important to overall health. Persistent anxiety, loss of interest, unusual irritability or a sense of exhaustion should not be minimised or automatically attributed to stress.
Where should you begin?
Taking care of your health does not require changing everything at once.
You can begin by asking yourself a few simple questions:
- When was my blood pressure last measured?
- Am I up to date with my recommended screenings?
- Are there symptoms that keep returning?
- Have my menstrual cycle or periods changed?
- Am I getting enough restorative sleep?
- Am I genuinely strengthening my muscles?
- What are the main health conditions in my family?
- Do I know which health indicators are most relevant to me?
The objective is not to monitor every variation in the body.
It is to have the right information to recognise meaningful changes, ask better questions and take action while action is still possible.
Prevention begins with a better understanding of yourself
Health is not simply about being “within the normal range.”
It should be understood over time, through changes in symptoms, habits, biological results and the different stages of life.
This is OVEA’s ambition: to offer preventive healthcare designed for women, connecting their personal history, biology and goals to identify truly personalised priorities.
Understanding your body earlier can help you make more informed decisions for your health today and in the years ahead.
Reviewed by the OVEA medical committee