Your well woman visit consists of two main elements: A physical exam and an in-depth conversation all about you. This important yearly check-up gives you space to evaluate and/or discuss many interrelated aspects of your health and well-being, including:
No topic is off-limits when you come to Capital Women’s Care for your annual well-woman exam. This is your opportunity to ask about whatever’s on your mind — and to seek expert guidance for the health issues that matter most to you right now.
Here, our team offers a list of questions to help you make the most of your visit.
A well-woman exam includes a general physical (i.e., measuring vitals), a standard pelvic exam, and a clinical breast exam. Depending on your age and previous health screening history, you may also be due for one or more of the following:
Because cervical and breast cancer screenings often aren’t conducted annually, your well-woman exam won’t always include them. Other preventive health screenings — such as a bone density scan for osteoporosis — may be recommended based on your age or medical history.
Your well-woman exam is the perfect time to ensure you’re caught up on recommended vaccinations. Depending on your age and immunization history, you may be a candidate for vaccines that protect against HPV, shingles, hepatitis B, a tetanus or COVID booster, or the seasonal flu shot.
If you’re sexually active, it’s always a good idea to get updated information and advice on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). You might want to know:
All sexually active women — including those in stable, long-term relationships — should have certain STD tests at least once (i.e., hepatitis C screening). Otherwise, your risk factors for infection help guide our STD testing recommendations.
If you’re sexually active but uninterested in starting a family soon (or ever), learning about the various forms of birth control is the first step in preventing an unplanned pregnancy.
From hormonal medications (i.e., the pill) and barrier methods (i.e., condoms, spermicide) to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) like the “set-it-and-forget-it” IUD, we can help you understand your options and find the right contraceptive for you — or make the switch from an unsatisfactory birth control method to one that may be a better fit.
The characteristics of a normal menstrual period can vary widely: Some women have light periods that last three or four days, while others experience a heavier flow for four or five days, followed by another day or two of light or “spotty” bleeding.
Anytime you have concerns about your menstrual cycle, talk with your doctor. Intensive period cramps, severe PMS, bleeding between periods, a disruptively heavy flow, painful periods, and period cessation are just a few abnormal menstruation issues we can help you with.
Health and wellness concerns happen at every age and stage in life. Perhaps you’re trying to conceive, and it’s taking longer than you thought, or you’re not sure if sleep troubles, weight gain, and low energy are a normal part of life after menopause— or something you can manage.
Your well-woman visit is an excellent time to discuss anything that concerns you, whether it’s a problematic symptom like pelvic pain, a persistent problem like urinary incontinence, recurrent UTIs, or infertility, a sexual wellness issue like painful intercourse or low libido, stress, and mental health concerns, or something else.
Your well-woman exam provides a snapshot of your overall well-being at this moment in time. Your lifestyle patterns (e.g., diet, exercise, sleep), harmful habits (e.g., smoking, drinking), and modifiable attributes (e.g., body weight) can help you get a better sense of your health and how you can enhance it.
There may be steps you can take to improve your health and have an easier time with:
When it comes to supporting and protecting your health today, tomorrow, and in the years to come, your annual well-woman exam has you covered. Give us a call to schedule your next visit at your nearest Capital Women’s Care office in Frederick or Mount Airy, Maryland.
