A yearly well-woman check can seem inconvenient, especially if you are in good health and have no specific concerns about your pelvic health. On the other hand, these Annual Gynecological examinations are crucial in giving the Gynecologist’s a baseline awareness of your health and in screening for gynecological disorders that may not show symptoms until concerns arise. Early warning symptoms of highly serious disorders, such as cancer or sexually transmitted diseases, can be detected by gynecology exams, which can alert you and your doctor. A well-woman exam should be a non-negotiable aspect of your annual preventative care. Here is why it is so crucial.
- A pelvic exam and a Pap smear are usually part of a well-woman exam. During the pelvic exam, your provider will look for anomalies that could indicate a sexually transmitted disease, an infection in the making, or a structural issue.
- This examination ensures that organs such as your vagina, vulva, cervix, and uterus are in good working order.
- The best gynecologist will normally do a Pap smear during this pelvic check. Your gynecologist takes cells from your cervix using a swab and sends them to a lab to check for any anomalies that could indicate cervical cancer.
- An abnormal Pap smear is not a cancer diagnosis, but it does indicate that you should get more testing to rule out a serious condition. Because of increased Pap smear tests, the incidence of cervical cancer, including death rates, has decreased by more than half in the last 50 years.
- A clinical breast exam will be performed, during which your provider will feel your breasts for any lumps or abnormalities.