National health experts in collaboration with the Academy have updated guidance on preventive care for women.
The work was part of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Women’s Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) and includes recommendations on screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, gestational diabetes mellitus and domestic violence.
The guidance also addresses provision of lactation support, contraceptive care, education about HIV, behavioral counseling about sexually transmitted infections and preventive care visits.
“Evidence-based preventive health care has been shown to identify risk factors for disease and to promote early detection of disease and infection, allowing more effective management and prevention of further complications,” according to the WPSI report.
The recommendations were crafted through a partnership with numerous medical groups, including the Academy, and took a similar approach to the Academy’s Bright Futures guidelines.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration funded the effort and has approved the resulting recommendations.
The recommendations can be found at www.womenspreventivehealth.org.
