Wellness

We recommend women of all ages have a yearly exam. The exam includes:

• breast exam
• pelvic exam
• review of your overall physical and mental health
• You may need to have a pap smear, too, but not necessarily every year.

We offer our patients Gardasil, Tdap, and annual influenza — three effective vaccines that can protect you and your family from serious diseases such as cancer, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and influenza.

* If you require additional vaccinations, please contact your primary care provider.

You can contract a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI or you may be more familiar with the term STD) at any age and pass it along to others without knowing it. The good news is that most STI’s can be prevented, treated, and cured (or effectively managed).

The most common STI’s include:

• chlamydia
• gonorrhea
• genital herpes
• trichomoniasis
• HIV
• human papillomavirus (HPV)
• syphilis.

Screening

Depending on the type of STI, it may require a blood test, urine test, or vaginal swab.

We recommend a preconception counseling visit for women of all ages who plan to become pregnant — either for the first time or to add to their families.

We will cover the following topics with you:

• Your health history
• Family health history for you and your partner
• Lifestyle habits for you and your partner

No matter your age, to keep your breasts healthy it helps to learn what’s normal and what’s not. Your provider will do a breast exam at your annual visit, review what is normal for you and can teach you how to do a self-exam at home. If you are concerned about a breast lump, abnormal discharge, skin changes or breast pain we will promptly evaluate you and arrange appropriate follow up, including imaging, if indicated.

Your provider will advise you about when you should start screening mammograms and can develop individual screening plans for people at higher-than-average risk for breast cancer.