Women Ignoring Annual Checkups Leading to Late Detection of Diseases, Report Says | Here's Why It's Important

With the hustle and bustle of modern life, women slip into a familiar pattern of caring for everyone except themselves. Between professional responsibilities, family duties, emotional labour, and daily demands, scheduling a yearly health check can feel like a luxury. But doctors warn this habit is quietly fueling a dangerous trend, meaning, late detection of diseases that could have been caught early.

According to a recent report, more women are avoiding annual checkups. Additionally, diseases such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, thyroid disorders, anemia, osteoporosis, and early diabetes are getting diagnosed far later than they actually should.

In an exclusive interaction with the editorial team of Onlymyhealth, Dr Namrata Gupta, Senior Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology, CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, this delay can prove life-changing. “It doesn't save time to skip yearly check-ups; instead, it steals health in silence. Diseases get a head start when women postpone routine screenings. A lifeline is early detection. Illnesses often whisper until they roar when women forget to go for routine medical check-ups. What silence conceals can be found just with one yearly visit,” she explained.

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Why Early Detection Matters More Than Ever

Many diseases affecting women disproportionately do not have significant symptoms or no symptoms at all in their early stages. For example, the breast lumps may not be felt initially, cervical abnormalities mostly remain silent, and early diabetes or thyroid problems hide behind very nonspecific symptoms like tiredness or weight changes. By the time these signs become obvious, treatment becomes more complex.

"From a medical point of view, annual check-ups are not just a formality but a line of defense. A routine health check-up-physical examination, blood tests, thyroid panel, pelvic examination, Pap smear, and imaging when required, can uncover abnormalities well before they can become serious threats,” explained Dr Gupta.

Everyday Symptoms Women Shouldn’t Ignore

Women chalk up symptoms like fatigue, irregular periods, persistent stress, pelvic discomfort, and weight fluctuation as a part of lifestyle and hormonal changes. However, Dr Gupta cautioned that these normal inconveniences can sometimes be early signs of something more serious.

"Women tend to dismiss warning signs, assuming they stem from stress or workload. These seemingly insignificant issues, however, may be early signs of much more serious underlying problems," she added.

An annual checkup helps doctors to monitor trends, compare changes from year to year, and intervene in cases before complications arise.

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What Happens When Women Neglect Health in the Name of Priorities

Another major factor is the invisible load many women carry. Caregiving responsibilities, multitasking at work and home, and putting others first often push healthcare to the bottom of the to-do list. But this self-neglect can come at a steep cost.

Need for Women to Prioritise Preventive Care

Women's health needs change with age, from hormonal changes in the 20s and 30s, to reproductive health and fertility in midlife, transition into menopause later, and bone health with ageing, the go through something or the other throughout. Preventive consultations help address nutritional deficiencies, mental health challenges, hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues, and chronic disease risks at every stage.

"It could mean the difference between prompt care and a delayed diagnosis," Dr Gupta stressed.

Bottomline

Skipping annual checkups may seem harmless, but it quietly increases the risk of diseases diagnosed in their late stages, most of which are preventable or manageable if diagnosed early.