Well-Woman Exam
Routine well-woman care usually includes a yearly exam by a gynecologist.
For women under age 21, this visit may simply be to discuss contraception or abnormal periods and may not require the patient to undress. For women over 21, the annual exam usually includes a breast and pelvic exam. Routine pap smears for cervical cancer screening are no longer performed yearly, and not recommended for women under age 21.
A well woman exam includes the following:
- Reviewing a thorough medical, family, and surgical history
- Obtaining blood pressure and weight and making recommendations as needed
- Reviewing of medications and allergies
- Physical examination such as thyroid, breast, abdomen
- Female health exam including:
- Inspection of external genitalia
- Speculum examination of vagina, vulva, bladder, cervix
- Palpation of bladder, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic muscles
- Performance of routine screening tests such as pap smear and vaginal swabs if needed
- Discussion of age-appropriate risk factors and lifestyle recommendations to prevent disease
- Screening for appropriate conditions such as sexually transmitted disease, menopausal symptoms, bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, depression, breast cancer, cervix cancer, uterine cancer and ovarian cancer
Well woman exams are not designed to take care of problems. A thorough evaluation and management of a problem takes more time than we allotted at a well woman exam.
Prepare for a Well-Woman Exam
Be ready for your appointment by following these instructions.
