Health

Did you know 90% of Americans put off check-ups or recommended screenings that could help identify and treat serious illness early? Aflac’s 2025 Wellness Matters Survey reveals what’s making Americans hesitate to get wellness exams — and who avoids them most.

Texas native Paula Bartuska loves riding her motorcycle. She enjoys unwinding in nature and spending time with family at their cabin. But her life hasn’t been easy, and she doesn’t take these moments of joy for granted. When she was 31, Bartuska felt a lump in her breast. Despite her young age, a biopsy revealed she had early-stage ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer.

A diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer can feel overwhelming, emotionally, physically and mentally. There are many decisions to make, and one empowering way to take control is to understand as much as possible about your specific tumor.

When someone in your family is diagnosed with cancer, it can raise questions. Is it a coincidence, or is there something that runs in the family that makes others more likely to get it too? For Jodi, whose mother was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 51, and whose maternal grandfather was diagnosed with the same disease at 55, those questions were top of mind from a young age. Her family history instilled a fear of the unknown — was she at elevated risk too?

When Carolyn Thomas suffered her first heart attack in 2008, she was in her fifties, a distance runner and as fit as can be. Yet the doctor in the ER diagnosed her with acid reflux, sent her home without treatment and told her she simply needed to rest.