From the moment a girl gets her first period, she sets out on a path that takes her through a variety of life stages. One day, she may become a mother, and as she gets older and her body changes through each new phase, her health care needs also evolve.
But whether she’s 12, 22, 42, or 62, one thing remains constant: Prevention and wellness are central to her ability to lead a full, productive, and healthy life. This is exactly what the annual well-woman exam aims to provide.
In this blog, board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist Daniel Kushner, MD, breaks down the importance of this preventive checkup — and explains why you shouldn’t skip it.
You may be wondering why you should schedule yet another doctor’s appointment when you already keep up with your regular health screenings and recommended diagnostic tests. To understand why a well-woman exam is so important, it helps to know what it covers.
Your first visit with a gynecologist is recommended around age 13-15. This visit doesn’t involve a pelvic exam; it focuses on education. Topics include:
Pelvic exams, including a Pap smear, start at age 21, whether or not you’re sexually active.
Depending on your needs, a well-woman exam may also include blood work or a urine test to screen for potential health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or thyroid conditions.
A well-woman exam doesn’t replace your routine annual physical with your primary care provider; rather, it focuses on prevention and wellness, with greater attention to the female reproductive system and sexual health.
A well-woman exam is essentially a physical exam that's fine-tuned for the female reproductive system, and its preventive care benefits can’t be overstated.
Well-woman exams track your health metrics from one year to the next, which is extremely helpful for identifying small issues before they turn into serious, chronic medical conditions. It also provides a clear-cut strategy for maintaining good general health over a patient’s lifetime.
A comprehensive physical exam and recommended health screenings are only part of what an annual well-woman has to offer. Well-woman exams provide the perfect opportunity for you to ask Dr. Kushner health-related questions or seek lifestyle-related advice that can help you minimize your medical risks, improve your physical health, and support your mental well-being.
A well-woman visit provides a platform for you to gain valuable information on a wide variety of topics, ranging from birth control options and family planning strategies to help with smoking cessation and getting more exercise.
You can discuss your concerns and needs freely. Dr. Kushner takes time to listen in a nonjudgmental, supportive, and understanding manner, making our well-woman exam as much a check-in as a checkup.
In a very real way, the well-woman exam is a quintessential example of the important role an OB/GYN plays in providing preventive healthcare to women. We have the privilege of caring for our patients from puberty through their childbearing years, menopause, and beyond.
The well-woman exam allows us to partner with our patients to ensure they’re living their best life when they’re healthy — and to help them get back on their feet more readily when they’re challenged by illness or disease. We offer many minimally invasive procedures in the office to address all your reproductive health needs in a single accessible setting.
If it’s time for your annual well-woman exam, contact Daniel Kushner, MD, in Queens or White Plains, New York, today.
