3 Reasons to Schedule Your Well-Woman Exam in the New Year

Entering a new year can serve as a great reminder about those things that we need to do on an annual basis, such as scheduling your all-important well-woman exam. 

This visit, as the name implies, is designed with your health and wellness in mind, and our goal is to make sure you have the resources and oversight you need to stay on top of your reproductive health.

To give you an idea about why this annual visit is so important, we turn to the experienced  team of gynecology experts at Bay Area Physicians for Women’s Health. In the following, we explore three compelling reasons to keep up with your well-woman exam, this year and beyond.

1. Stay one step ahead of your reproductive health

Did you know that the incidence rates for cervical cancer have decreased by more than half in the United States since the 1970s? The reason why this reproductive cancer isn’t as big a risk for women is thanks to the quick-and-easy Pap test, which checks your cervix for abnormal or precancerous cells.

The Pap test is just one example of how we’re able to take a preventive stance with your health, which is a lot better than having to navigate illness and disease.

We can also perform other screenings during your well-woman visit, such as testing for sexually transmitted infections, which are still making their rounds — 20 million new cases are diagnosed each year in the US. 

During your well-woman exam, we assess your risks to figure out for which conditions we should screen, and then we get to work. 

Another benefit of your annual well-woman exam is that we’re able to collect data that we can use to spot trends year over year. This work allows us to monitor your reproductive health and step in when we see signs of trouble. 

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and your well-woman exam is a fantastic example of this.

2. Care for every stage of your life

A woman’s health and wellness are largely dictated by her reproductive health. The fluctuation in reproductive hormones alone can send women on different journeys throughout their lives.

For example, each year in the United States, 1.3 million women enter menopause, which can be a bumpy transition out of the reproductive stage.

So, from the first adolescent exam, through the reproductive years and pregnancy, and then onto menopause and beyond, we’re here to help guide you through these significant and often life-changing transitions.

3. A great time to ask questions

This last point is an important one — your well-woman exam is an excellent time for you to ask questions. We believe in partnering with patients to pursue good health, and we love it when patients come armed with questions.

So, whether you’re dealing with abnormal bleeding or you have some odd pelvic pain, this is your time, and we want you to let us know and ask us as many questions as you need. From there, we can work together toward finding answers.

If you want to stay on top of your reproductive health, your first step is to schedule your annual well-woman exam today. To get started, contact our office in Mobile, Alabama, to schedule an appointment.