Virtual healthcare for women over 40

Written on February 1, 2023 by Amy Harris, MS, RN, CNM. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.

Table of contents

• Once a year check-in on your health
• What kind of healthcare does a woman over 40 need?
• Virtual health can help with building your family
• Understanding hormonal changes for women over 40
• Taking care of your heart once you are 40
• Reproductive and sexual health
• Everlywell delivers the kind of healthcare women over 40 want and need
• Related content

Even if you feel well, if you are a woman over 40, you should still have a visit with a healthcare professional at least once a year [1]. Post-pandemic, more and more people with busy lives are choosing the convenience and accessibility of telehealth as a way to keep up with regular check-ups. Everlywell’s virtual healthcare for women over 40 has licensed nurse practitioners to make it simple for busy people like you to address your health needs with high-quality care, prescriptions, and recommendations — all through video calls.

Once a year check-in on your health

So, do you really need to check in with a healthcare provider annually? Yes [1].

Seeing (virtually or in person) a healthcare provider every year can help screen for early signs of diseases while you still have time to prevent them and when the chances for treatment are better. Yearly health check-ups allow healthcare providers to [1]:

• Screen for medical issues
• Assess your risk for future medical problems
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle
• Update your vaccinations
• Help you get to know your provider in case of an illness

While Everlywell telehealth providers and at-home testing options can’t offer all of the tests or screens recommended as part of preventive health maintenance for women over 40 [2], our providers can advise you on the following:

1. Which tests you are overdue for
2. Screenings for other diseases based on your medical history
3. Referral to in-person providers or laboratories near you

It can be hard to keep up to date on which screens and tests you are supposed to have and when, but Everlywell can help keep you on track.

What kind of healthcare does a woman over 40 need?

Some of the recommended screenings you should have if you are a woman over the age of 40 are [1]:

• Blood sugar screening starting at age 35 every 3 years (depending on diabetes risk factors)
• Annual cholesterol screening
• Annual blood pressure screening
• Mammogram every 1 to 2 years to check for breast cancer, depending on your breast cancer risk factors
• A Pap test every 3 years or the HPV test every 5 years, or both tests every 5 years (cervical cancer screening)
• Colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45 (depending on risk factors)
• Eye exam every 2-4 years beginning at age 45
• Dental exam 1-2 times every year
• A skin exam to screen for skin cancer

Feeling overwhelmed or worried about the cost of all this screening? Everlywell is here to help you make sense of what in-person tests you need (and when) and which you can do virtually. Ultimately, being an informed healthcare consumer will keep your body and your wallet healthier in the long run.

Virtual health can help with building your family

Women are now waiting longer to give birth, with many becoming first-time mothers in their 40s [3]. Many women have questions about their ovarian reserve, fertility, and whether or not they will need assisted reproductive technology to help them get pregnant. While they can’t provide fertility care, licensed nurse practitioners talk through some of your available testing option, such as the Women's Fertility Test or Ovarian Reserve Test.

Understanding hormonal changes for women over 40

In contrast to those contemplating pregnancy, you may be looking forward to the end of your childbearing years. Perimenopause is the gradual transition (4-8 years) that all people with ovaries undergo [4]. As the ovaries produce fewer hormones (namely estrogen), menstrual cycles become irregular. These same hormonal changes can cause night sweats, mood changes, tiredness, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), vaginal dryness, weight changes, headaches, and mood changes [5].

Talking through your symptoms and looking at some key biomarkers and hormone levels with Everlywell’s virtual healthcare providers can provide you with some helpful information. Our virtual healthcare providers can recommend which tests to consider and advise you about treatment options for your symptoms. We know you have questions — online surveys tell us that most women under 40 have very limited menopause knowledge [6].

Taking care of your heart once you are 40

The hormonal changes during menopause (decreasing estrogen levels) elevate cardiovascular risk by raising blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease or CVD) is the number one killer of women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [7].

Reviewing your risk factors for cardiovascular disease at your yearly health check-up can help prevent CVD and death later in your life. Everlywell telehealth providers can help do a cardiovascular risk assessment and help you develop a healthy heart care plan to start protecting your heart before it is too late.

Reproductive and sexual health

As we talk about diseases of the heart, we can’t forget broken hearts. While no one likes to talk about it, the divorce rate among married couples increases with age, especially in the midlife years [8].

You may be out of practice using condoms or asking new partners about their sexual history. Virtual healthcare providers can help with STDs in women. They can offer you confidential, discrete, fast, and accurate STD testing, evaluation for urinary tract infections (UTIs), and even treatment for infections. With Everlywell telehealth and at-home STD tests, you don’t even have to go to a doctor’s office, clinic, or pharmacy to receive sexual healthcare.

Everlywell and healthcare for women over 40

Everlywell offers access to virtual care visits for online women's health support. Licensed telehealth providers can meet you when it works with your schedule. They can help you address your symptoms with the right test, prescriptions, or lifestyle recommendations. Everlywell accepts major health insurance plans and uses cutting-edge technology to protect your privacy.

Related content

Virtual healthcare for women over 60

What is a virtual appointment?

What is the cost of telehealth?

References

1. Health Screenings for Women Ages 40-64. MedlinePlus. URL. Accessed January 26, 2023.
2. Healthy living in your 40’s. Office on Women’s Health, OASH. URL. Published February 25, 2021. Accessed January 26, 2023.
3. U.S. women more likely to have children than 10 years ago. Pew Research Center. URL. Published January 18, 2018. Accessed January 27, 2023.
4. Menopause 101: A primer for the perimenopausal. North American Menopause Society (NAMS). URL. Published 2023. Accessed January 27, 2022.
5. Perimenopause. Cleveland Clinic. URL. Published October 5, 2021. Accessed January 27, 2023.
6. Munn C, Vaughan L, Talaulikar V, Davies MC, Harper JC. Menopause knowledge and education in women under 40: Results from an online survey. Womens Health (Lond). 2022;18:17455057221139660. doi:10.1177/17455057221139660. URL.
7. Women and Heart Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Published October 14, 2022. Accessed January 26, 2023.
8. Brown SL, Lin IF. The gray divorce revolution: rising divorce among middle-aged and older adults, 1990-2010. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(6):731-741. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbs089. URL.