Preventive Care Across a Woman’s Lifetime: From First Period to Postmenopause
At Signature Health, Dr. Robin Bone views preventive care as a lifelong partnership—one that anticipates change, supports transitions, and protects women’s health at every stage of life.
Women’s health is not static. What your body needs at 18 is very different from what it needs at 38, 48, or 68. Yet many women experience healthcare as a series of disconnected visits—without a clear understanding of how care should evolve over time.
Preventive care offers a different approach.
At Signature Health, Dr. Robin Bone views preventive women’s health as a lifelong partnership—one that anticipates change, supports transitions, and helps women protect their health long before problems arise.
What Preventive Care Really Means
Preventive care is often misunderstood as a checklist of annual screenings. While tests and exams are important, true prevention goes further.
It includes:
Understanding personal and family health history
Identifying risk factors early
Monitoring changes over time
Supporting healthy habits with evidence-based guidance
Preventive care is proactive rather than reactive. Its goal is not simply to detect disease, but to reduce risk, preserve function, and support long-term wellbeing.
Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Building the Foundation
Preventive care begins long before pregnancy or menopause. During adolescence and early adulthood, care focuses on education, cycle health, and establishing a relationship with a trusted provider.
This stage may include:
Menstrual cycle evaluation
Education about reproductive health
Contraceptive counseling
Preventive screenings when appropriate
Just as importantly, these early visits help normalize open conversations about health and set the tone for engaged, informed care later in life.
Reproductive Years: Supporting Health Through Change
During the reproductive years, preventive care continues to evolve. This phase often includes pregnancy planning, contraception, and management of gynecologic concerns—but it also extends beyond reproduction alone.
Preventive care during this stage may address:
Hormonal balance and cycle changes
Sexual health and comfort
Mental and emotional well-being
Early metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors
Looking beyond immediate needs allows women to build resilience and identify patterns before they become chronic concerns.
Perimenopause and Menopause: A Critical Preventive Window
Midlife is one of the most important times for preventive care. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause influence bone health, cardiovascular risk, metabolism, and overall quality of life.
Rather than waiting for symptoms to become disruptive, preventive care during this phase focuses on anticipation and planning. This may include:
Bone health evaluation
Cardiovascular risk assessment
Metabolic health screening
Support through hormonal transitions
When addressed thoughtfully, this stage becomes an opportunity to protect long-term health rather than react to decline.
Postmenopause: Preserving Health and Function
Preventive care does not end after menopause. In fact, it becomes even more important as women age.
Postmenopausal preventive care emphasizes:
Maintaining bone strength and mobility
Supporting cardiovascular and metabolic health
Preserving cognitive and sexual health
Monitoring chronic conditions with nuance
The goal is not simply longevity, but quality of life—supporting strength, independence, and vitality in the decades ahead.
Prevention as a Long-Term Relationship
Effective preventive care depends on continuity. Tracking trends, revisiting goals, and adjusting care plans over time allows for more personalized and meaningful guidance.
At Signature Health, preventive care is built around long-term relationships rather than one-time visits. This approach ensures that care evolves alongside a woman’s life—reflecting changes in health, priorities, and goals.
Investing in Health at Every Stage
Preventive care is one of the most powerful tools in women’s healthcare. When care is proactive, individualized, and relationship-based, it empowers women to take an active role in their health at every stage of life.
If you’re looking for women’s healthcare that supports prevention across the lifespan—not just at isolated moments—we invite you to learn more about working with Dr. Robin Bone and the Signature Health team.
