LIST: Health checkups women can get for free this Women's Month
A strong woman is one who stays on top of her health.
As part of this month's celebration, several healthcare centers and businesses are offering free services to ensure that the wonderful women in our lives stay as healthy as they can be.
PhilSTAR L!fe has compiled some of the checkups women could get this March where they won't have to touch their savings account.
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is no laughing matter, and it's important to have an early diagnosis before it's too late.
Luckily, the Marcelo Green Health Center will be holding a cervical cancer screening for women aged 20 to 49 years old on March 8 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. You can also opt to avail a Pap smear, which is a procedure to test for cervical cancer in women, for just P350.
Apart from this, the health center is also offering a free vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus, a common infection spread through sex that can cause warts and increase the risk of cancer. The service is offered to young girls aged nine to 14 years old and will be available on March 8, 15, and 22.
The Marcelo Green Health Center is located in Parañaque City.
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is another serious health concern that significantly affects women.
To help combat this, the University of Santo Tomas Hospital Department of Surgery, in collaboration with the Benavides Cancer Institute, will be conducting free breast cancer screening until March 8 at the hospital's Ambulatory Care Services.
The services include a mammogram and breast ultrasound, a daily lay forum for breast cancer awareness, financial assistance for surgery for two eligible breast cancer patients, and ultrasound guided breast biopsy for patients with PhilHealth.
Pregnancy
The path toward motherhood is no easy journey, and it may leave you fearful of your health, especially for first-time mothers.
St. Cabrini Medical Center is here to relieve you of your worries as they have a free prenatal checkup from March 4 to 9. This is limited to only 10 patients per day.
For registration, you can call their Women Wellness Center at (043) 778 4811 or 0917-3274-691 and provide information on your name, contact number, address, and birthday.
Aside from this, they also have a 10 percent discount for pelvic or transvaginal ultrasound and have a prenatal lab package for P1,950, which includes complete blood count, urinalysis, rapid plasma reagin or venereal disease research laboratory test, Hepatitis B surface antigen screening, and blood typing.
St. Cabrini Medical Center is located along Santo Tomas, Batangas.
Similarly, the Global Care Medical Center of Canlubang, in partnership with the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, is also offering a free prenatal checkup to pregnant women on March 19 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
You can also participate in their games and raffle for some exciting prizes.
This will be held at the Roderick Mujer Hall in Muntinlupa City.
Hormone management
Let's not forget to take care of the transgender women in our lives.
Trans Health Philippines is offering a free hormone management assessment and counseling for pre-gender-affirming surgery (GAS) for Trans Health starting March 10. This can help check if you have a hormonal imbalance and don’t even realize it, especially if you are still adjusting to the transition.
Interested participants can register here.