Wellness - Are You Getting the Cervical Cancer Screenings You Need?

In 2016, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released new cervical cancer screening guidelines. The big news?

Yearly Pap tests may be a thing of the past for many women. How often you should get screened for cervical cancer now depends on your age and health history.

While less frequent Pap smears are recommended for many women, ACOG still encourages a yearly visit to your gynecologist to discuss health maintenance and lifestyle issues, as well as whether a pelvic exam is needed. 

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Topics: Women's Health

When patients visit the Marion-Louise Saltzman Women’s Center at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, one of the many friendly faces they see while checking in is that of health unit coordinator La Shawn Ford. In at least one way in particular, Ford is especially memorable. On any given day, Ford is a symphony in purple: Purple scrubs. Purple eye shadow. Purple nails. Purple lipstick.

Check out the Einstein Healthcare Network logo and you’ll see that purple is our color, too. For Ford, though, wearing purple is mostly a becoming fashion statement. “I like purple,” she concedes. “That’s one of my favorite colors, so I wear it all the time.”

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Topics: Women's Health, Einstein People, Women's Center

Being overweight is often an obstacle to starting an exercise program. But it's also a risk factor for heart disease. It's time to overcome your fears and get moving!

Starting an exercise program can be difficult for anyone. But if you are one of the 78 million obese people in the United States, the challenge can be even greater.

In widely cited research, 278 women were enrolled in a yearlong physical activity study. The group included both obese women and those considered normal weight.

The obese women in the study reported greater challenges to being active. And the more barriers they identified at the beginning of the study, the less likely they were to be exercising 12 months later.

Some common reasons overweight women aren’t working out:

• Fear of failure and injury
• Self-consciousness
• Feeling too overweight to exercise or otherwise unhealthy
• Experiencing minor aches and pains from exercise

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Topics: Wellness, Women's Health