Your 50s+: Keeping it healthy
If dryness and itching are a big problem, ask your doctor about ultra-low-dose estrogen rings, which are inserted vaginally, restore moisture back to the vagina, and—unlike traditional estrogen therapy—stand a very low risk of being absorbed systemically. (Other options include tablets or creams.)
If you’ve had your cervix removed as part of a hysterectomy, you may no longer need Pap smears if the surgery was done for noncancerous reasons and if you don’t have a history of abnormal Pap smears. You may also be able to stop getting Pap smears after age 65 if you’ve had three or more normal Paps in a row. (But this doesn’t mean you should blow off annual gyno visits.)
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