NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) —May is Women’s Health Month, and it’s important to know the diseases and conditions that are health risks for women.

“It’s important that people are getting in every year,” said Dr. Sarah Clausen, MD, from Sanford Health.

Routine checkups are very important, and there are several that women should get done like pelvic exams, pap smears, mammograms, and colonoscopies, as well as making sure immunizations are up-to-date.

Women should start getting these checkups around the age of 21, and depending on their health should be seen every year or every three to five years. But some don’t need to be done until they’re 40 or older.

These checkups help manage other things that affect daily life, like premenstrual syndrome, fertility, birth control, and menopause, among others.

“Listen to your body, take care of it,” Clausen added.

Concerns about health will change over time, which is why it’s important to always go see your doctor and lifestyle choices will go a long way.

These concerns all depend on where you are in your life cycle. Most women see their primary care provider for vitamins, diet, and exercise, but younger people will go for birth control or STD/STI testing.

“We want to identify problems before they get to be bigger problems,” Clausen said.