Ladies! When was the last time that you went in and visited your doctor for a check-up? Have you ever heard of a Well-Woman Exam? Do you understand the process of a Well-Woman exam?

Offered to all women and recommended to be performed annually, A Well-Woman exam is an examination used to review a women’s reproductive health - helping to screen for potential abnormalities (like STDs, etc.). So, if you are considering making a well-woman exam appointment with your doctor, here are a few other things you should know.

Why Do You Need a Well-Woman Exam?
Is it about time that you schedule a Well-Woman Exam with your doctor? Unlike most doctor visits (physicals, check-ups, etc.), A Well-Woman Exam is an exam designed for women’s health- specifically reproductive health). But, even though this type of examination is focused on the reproductive system (centered around your vagina, cervix, uterus, and breasts), your health as a whole is taken into account during your doctor’s visit.

A Well-Woman Exam usually includes three types of procedures (pap smears, a pelvic exam, and a breast exam), which are essential to your health as a woman - allowing you to catch early signs of health problems (such as cancer, etc.).

What To Expect?
Many things go on during Well-Woman visits, but it is essential to remember that it is all for your benefit, helping to ensure that you stay healthy for as long as possible. And part one of your Well-Woman exam happens as soon as you are brought into your room with a physical exam.

When you arrive, your weight, pulse, and blood pressure will be taken (just like any other doctor’s visit). And after the initial physical exam, you will be given a paper gown to change into. After you are changed and your doctor comes back into the room, the next part of your Well-Woman exam beings. Starting with the pelvic exam, next a pap smear, and finally, a breast examination. Each examination is essential to your health as a woman, and here is why.

• Pelvic Exam
  Sometimes part of your regular check-up or physical, A pelvic exam is used by doctors to evaluate a woman’s reproductive organs and identify and diagnose any medical conditions that might be present (such as ovarian cysts, STIs, early-stage cancer, etc.). When detected early enough, treatment will be easier and more effective in curing you.
  
• Pap Smear
  Usually performed during a women’s pelvic exam, a pap smear is when your doctor collects cells from your cervix using a swab - a test conducted to help detect cervical cancer and abnormal (possibly cancerous) cells, stopping them in their tracks and giving you a greater chance at finding a cure.
  
  
• Breast Exam
  Usually, for a pain-free exam, your doctor performs a breast exam by looking for anything that feels off (lumps, bumps, cysts, etc.). Don’t be alarmed if your doctor asks you to lift an arm up and over your head (one at a time) during their examination - this is only so they can get a better look and feel at your breasts (individually) for a better examination.