What Happens at a Well-Woman Exam?

Though it’s one of the most important things you can do for your health and well-being, you may find yourself regularly putting off your annual well-woman exam. But it’s time to put you and your health first. 

At Eve Medical of Miami, our focus is on providing comprehensive care that meets every woman’s health and wellness needs. For more than 40 years, we’ve been helping the women in the Miami-Dade area stay in charge of their bodies and their health. 

Here, we want to share what you can expect when you come in for your annual well-woman exam. Knowing what happens during the wellness visit may motivate you to schedule your appointment.

About the well-woman exam 

Maybe you already saw your primary care provider and had a physical exam. So, why would you need a well-woman exam too?

The well-woman exam is a little different than your annual physical. The focus of the well-woman exam is your reproductive health. A woman’s reproductive organs are the center of her life stages, starting with her first period and ending with menopause.

These life stages may cause signs and symptoms that affect your physical and emotional well-being, such as abdominal cramps or mood changes. Your reproductive organs also increase your risk of certain health conditions, such as cervical and breast cancer. 

Though we assess your total body health during your well-woman exam, we pay special attention to your reproductive health. 

Physicals and tests

What happens during your well-woman exam may depend on your age, sexual activity, medical history, and current health concerns and needs. In general, during your well-woman exam we:

• Assess body composition (measure your height and weight)
• Check vitals (blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature)
• Perform a physical, breast, and pelvic exam
• Review your menstrual cycle
• Ask about your diet and exercise habits

We may also run or order health screenings, such as a Pap smear for cervical cancer, a mammogram for breast cancer, or a bone density test for osteoporosis. Your well-woman exam may also include blood work to check your blood glucose and cholesterol levels. 

We may also perform sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing. 

Current and future health

The purpose of the well-woman exam is to assess your current health and well-being and your future health risks. After we gather all the objective data from your physical exam and testing, we talk to you about what it all means and the steps you can take to stay in control of your body and your health.

We may talk to you about birth control and your options for preventing unintended pregnancies and protecting yourself from STDs. We may also suggest updating your vaccinations to protect yourself from contagious illnesses. 

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common STD, and certain strains increase a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer. Getting the HPV vaccine may protect you from the virus and lower your risk of developing cervical cancer. 

If any of your tests come back positive, such as your Pap smear or STD testing, we have you come back to the office so we can run additional tests or provide any necessary treatments.

Your well-woman exam is the best tool you have for protecting your reproductive health. To schedule your exam, call our office in Miami, Florida, or request an appointment here on the website.