Welcome to Healthy Blue Missouri
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips to improve your overall health and wellness.
Protecting yourself — lower your risk for sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sometimes called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), are infections you can get from another person during sex. STIs are quite common, and each year, millions of people in the U.S. get an STI.
Even though it might be uncomfortable, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about your sexual health and ways you can protect yourself during sex. Sexual health is a big part of your overall health.
Sometimes, STIs do not show signs because they are very minor or don’t start until later. This means you can have an STI and not even know it. Some STIs can cause serious health problems if they’re not treated, so it’s important to get tested.
So, who should be tested? The experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say:
- If you’re between the ages of 13 and 64 years old and sexually active, ask your doctor for an HIV test every year.
- If you’re a woman under 25 and sexually active, it’s recommended that you get tested every year for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
- For women over 25 years old with risk factors like having more than one partner, having a new partner, or having a partner with an STI, it’s important to get annual tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
- If you’re pregnant, it’s important to get tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in the stages of early pregnancy. Depending on your situation, you may also need to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Sometimes, testing is needed more than once.
- If you’re a man who has sex with other men, you should get tested at least once a year for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. If you have lots of partners or unknown partners, you might need to get tested every three to six months. If you live with HIV, it’s important to get tested for hepatitis C every year.
- If you use the same tools as someone else to take drugs, it’s important to get tested for HIV at least once a year.
- If you’ve had oral or anal sex, ask your healthcare provider about testing for your throat or rectum.
The best way to avoid STIs is by not having sex. But what else can you do to keep you and your partner safe?
- Vaccinate against some STIs, like HPV and hepatitis B.
- Try to keep the number of sexual partners low.
- Get regular STI testing. Both you and your partner can get tested and share your results.
- Being with only one partner who is also only with you and does not have an STI.
- Use condoms the right way every time you have sex.
You increase your risk of getting an STI by having many different sexual partners or partners you don’t know well. Using drugs or alcohol before or during sex can also put you at risk because they can make you take more sexual risks. If you don’t use a condom correctly during any type of sex (vaginal, anal, or oral sex) your chances of getting an STI increases.
There are a lot of STIs out there. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, and many others are commonly spread through sex. The key to staying healthy is protection and regular testing. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns. Asking is the way to know you are receiving the right tests.
Learn more about the CDC’s recommendations >
If you would like an STI screening, contact your primary care provider (PCP). If you need help with scheduling an appointment or transportation to your PCP (for eligible members), call your MO HealthNet managed care plan, Healthy Blue, at 833-388-1407 (TTY 711), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.
Cancer screenings everyone should know about
You probably know the earlier you find cancer, the better. But do you know which screenings can find cancer early and when you should get those tests?
It’s important to find cancer before you have any symptoms. That’s why regular cancer screenings should always be a part of your and your family’s healthcare. These screenings can find and treat changes in your body before they turn into cancer, or before the cancer has a chance to spread.
We teamed up with the American Cancer Society to create a simple guide. It tells you about important health screenings and when you should get them.
Breast cancer
Make sure you know how your breasts normally look and feel. That way you can tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes. Doctors use mammograms (X-rays of the breast) to check for signs of cancer. Here’s when to get regular mammograms:
Ages 40-44: If you don’t want to wait, you can start yearly mammograms now.
Ages 45-54: It’s important to get yearly mammograms.
Ages 55+: Mammograms every year or every 2 years. Talk with your doctor about what’s best for you.
Cervical cancer
HPV (human papillomavirus) can cause cervical cancer in women. Screening and tests can help your doctor tell if you are at risk. Even if you had the vaccine, you should still start regular screenings when you turn 25.
Ages 25-65: A primary screening every 5 years.
If you can’t get a primary test, get a cotest (HPV test with a Pap test) every 5 years OR a Pap test every 3 years.
Age 65+: If you had normal test results in the last 10 years, you may not need more tests.
Endometrial cancer
If you have gone through menopause (stopped having your period), you should know about the symptoms and risks of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). There’s no screening test to check for this kind of cancer, but you can catch it early if you notice symptoms like vaginal bleeding, discharge, or spotting, and tell your doctor right away. Learn more about endometrial cancer symptoms here: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrial-cancer.html
Colon and rectal cancer and polyps
Regular screenings for colon and rectal cancers are important. These are done with a sensitive test that looks for cancer in a person’s stool or by a visual test that looks at the colon and rectum. Talk to your provider about which test is right for you.
- Age 45: Start getting screened.
- Ages 46-75: Regular screenings if you’re in good health.
- Ages 76-85: Ask your doctor if you still need regular tests.
- Age 85+: No longer need screenings.
Lung cancer
Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk for lung cancer and how to quit smoking, vaping, or using chewing tobacco if you still do. Screening for lung cancer is done by a low-dose CT scan, a special kind of X-ray that takes detailed pictures of the inside of your body. A low-dose CT scan uses less radiation than a normal CT scan. People should get screening every year if they:
- Are ages 50-80 and
- Currently smoke or used to smoke and
- Have at least a 20 pack-per-year smoking history. (A pack-year is 1 pack of cigarettes, or about 20 cigarettes, per day per year. One pack per day for 20 years or 2 packs per day for 10 years would both be 20 pack-years.)
Prostate cancer
Men should talk with their healthcare provider about whether to get tested for prostate cancer. A prostate cancer screening is called a PSA test. There’s a lot to learn about what we do and don’t know about testing and treatment for prostate cancer. An informed decision will be your best decision.
Learn more at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about.html.
- Age 45: Talk to your doctor about PSA testing if you are African American or have a father or brother who had prostate cancer before age 65.
- Age 50: Talk to your doctor about getting tested.
Things you can do to stay healthy and reduce your risk of cancer:
- Don’t use tobacco in any form.
- Stay at a healthy weight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat plenty fruit and vegetables.
- It’s best not to drink alcohol. If you do drink, women should have no more than 1 drink per day and 2 per day for men.
- Protect your skin.
- Know your own health history and your family’s.
- Get regular checkups and cancer screenings.
For details about cancer screenings and which ones are covered by Healthy Blue, visit https://www.healthybluemo.com/missouri-medicaid/benefits/medicaid-benefits.html.
To learn more about preventing cancer, visit cancer.org.