You value your health and try your best to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Visiting a doctor at a facility like HealthWellnessMD regularly for checkups and health screenings is part of a lifestyle that leads to lifelong well-being. However, women have a few extra concerns that need to be addressed. Here are four ways that women's health specialist services can help you protect your reproductive health:
1. Have a pap smear performed every two years.
Cervical cancer can affect women of any age, and early detection can help you get the treatment you need. Pap smears are performed by gynecologists in order to check for the presence of cancerous cells around the opening of your cervix. These tests are not painful, but they may be slightly uncomfortable. Your doctor will use a clean cotton bud to swab the entrance of your cervix. The cells collected will be tested, and you may be called in for follow-up tests if anything unusual is found. Doctors recommend that women have pap smears performed once every two years. If precancerous cells were found during a past pap smear, your doctor may recommend that you have annual pap smears performed instead.
2. Get tested for STIs when sexually active.
Sexually transmitted infections are spread through sexual contact. You can prevent most STIs by having safer sex, but there's always a risk of contracting an illness when having sex with someone else. You should get tested for STIs every time you get a new sexual partner or at least once a year, whichever is more frequent. You can save time by requesting an STI screening during your next gynecological exam.
3. Discuss family planning concerns with a specialist.
Women of reproductive age often have family planning concerns. Some women prefer not to get pregnant, and they may desire access to effective forms of birth control. Other women are actively trying for a baby, and a gynecologist can perform an exam to identify any physical features that may become a problem during a pregnancy. It's important to establish a good doctor-patient relationship with a women's health specialist since that will make it easier to discuss your family planning goals and options.
4. Seek additional services at the right ages.
As you age, you will need to have additional tests performed for the sake of your ongoing health. When women turn 45, experts recommend that they receive their first mammogram. They should continue to get annual mammograms until they turn 55, when they can begin getting mammograms every other year instead. Mammograms can identify breast cancer so that women can get the treatment they need.
