Other exams to stay healthy 135
Other exams to stay healthy
All women can take better care of their own health when they know how to look
for signs of illness. For example, you or a person you trust can use the information
on pages 128 to 130 to check for signs of breast cancer.
There are other tests that can also be done at home by you, family members, or
caregivers. But some tests are best done by a health worker in a clinic or hospital.
You can use a general health guide to learn to examine yourself, to learn the signs
of different illnesses, or to learn more about the tests usually done in clinics. You
can look at information in the books listed below: WWHND = Where Women Have
No Doctor; MW = A Book for Midwives; and WTND = Where There Is No Doctor. All
these books are available from Hesperian.
Exams that can be done at home:
• abdominal (belly) exam, to check for pain and unusual
lumps (WWHND page 534)
• check for problems during pregnancy (MW pages 109
to 114)
• pulse check, to make sure the rhythm feels steady
(WTND page 32 to 33)
• blood pressure (WWHND page 532) and temperature (WTND page 30)
• signs of anemia (WTND page 124)
• signs of hepatitis (WTND page 172)
• vision test (WTND page 33)
Exams that are done in a clinic or hospital:
• Pap test of the opening of the womb (cervix) to check for cancer
• tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia
• blood test for anemia
• blood test for syphilis
• blood test for HIV
• blood test for hepatitis A, B, or C
• blood test for malaria (especially important for pregnant women)
• urine tests for diabetes
• stool test for worms and parasites
• mucus (sputum) test for TB
• urine or blood test for pregnancy
• urine test for infection of the bladder or kidneys
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007