What Is a Well Woman Exam?
Your annual gynecologic exam is an essential preventative screening. A well woman exam will include a breast exam, a pelvic examination, and depending on your needs, a pap smear. Your breast exam, your doctor will manually examine your breasts and the tissue under your arms in order to check for lumps or other changes in the tissue. Your pelvic exam will include a bimanual and speculum exam. If you have a pap smear, your doctor will take a sample of cells from your cervix to screen for dysplasia and cancer.
Pap tests should be performed every 3 years for women age 21-29 and every 5 years from age 30-65. Women age 40 or older will begin having mammograms ever 1-2 years as part of their well woman exam. It may seem like an inconvenience but taking time each year to schedule a well woman exam can greatly increase the chances of your doctor diagnosing any potential issues early, which will provide you with a wider array of available treatments. Regular exams help maintain your overall health, ensuring that any changes or concerns are addressed promptly and effectively. Prioritizing these checkups is an important step toward long-term health and well-being.
