How does well woman examination help

Well woman exam is an annual exam or test that is part of your healthcare routine. If it has been more than 12 months, you should immediately contact your healthcare provider to fix an appointment.

What is an annual exam?

It is an annual exam conducted once-a-year, at your primary healthcare provider for a general health checkup, including a breast exam and pap smear. This annual visit does not include discussion of new problems or details review of chronic conditions. They are also known as routine check-up, yearly exam, annual pap and preventive visit.

If you have any other health concerns, then you must schedule a separate appointment, other than this routine physical exam.

Things you should know during well-woman exam?

·         Update about life and work situation

·         Review of your health history

·         Update of family health history (any new serious disease or infection in your family?)

·         General physical exam (including breast exam)

·         Update of current medications (bring the list along)

·         Pelvic exam (pap smear)

·         Evaluation of need for health examination based on age and personal and family history (such as mammograms, STD’s examination, and colon cancer test)

·         Need for medication refills

·         Update on vaccinations

Read on to know the six basic information about well-woman examination;

1. it’s all about preventive health – Going to doctor only when you are sick is so old school. Therefore, prevention is better than cure.

2. Get all your questions answered - Don’t just get the test done, ask questions. Talk about your stress level, your mood, your nutrition, ongoing medications, family health history, sex life, etc. Asking questions and clearing your concerns will help your health care provider know what’s important for you and what’s worrying you the most.

3. Share a good relationship with your healthcare provider – A healthcare provider should meet you in between and show genuine interest in your health – no judgments. This will build trust and increase the likelihood of a satisfactory visit. 

4. it’s not always once – Though, the well-woman exam is often considered as single and annual visit, it does not end here. For Instance, if you have a family history of breast cancer, then your healthcare provider might suggest you to get a mammogram in a certain time and interval, similarly for IUD or implants.

5. Certain services are free of cost - If you have health insurance and your provider is covered under the Affordable Care Act, preventive services should be covered by insurance.

6. Its includes full list of health care services - Your well-women service could include the following depending upon your current health status;

Ø  Birth control counseling

Ø  Alcohol abuse screening

Ø  Blood pressure test

Ø  Cholesterol test

Ø  Depression test

Ø  Nutrition and diet analysis

Ø  HIV test

Ø  Vaccines and immunizations

Ø  STI examination

The well-woman exam is essential as women needs screening for breast and gynecologic cancers and to discuss any preventive and STD’s examination. It is also a good time for pre-pregnancy counseling. Doctors suggest that girls should start getting their well-woman examination sometime between ages 13 and 15 since, that's when most girls start going through puberty.