5 Reasons You Shouldn't Skip Your Annual Well-Woman Exam

As a busy woman, it can seem almost impossible to fit an annual well-woman exam into your schedule. But before you cancel or postpone your next visit, consider these five reasons why you shouldn’t.

There’s no denying women have widely different health needs compared with men. And no doubt having woman-focused medical care can play an important role in helping women of all ages stay healthy.

Yet despite those significant benefits, data show about half of women don’t bother having annual well-woman visits, leaving them at risk of serious medical issues. In this post, Richard Roberts, MD, and the team at OB/GYN Associates of Conroe offer five important reasons why you should schedule your annual well-woman visit today.

1. They detect problems early

Health screenings are designed to spot diseases in their earliest stages, often before noticeable symptoms occur. The screenings you need depend in part on your age and other risk factors unique to you.

During your annual well-woman exam, Dr. Robertson reviews your medical history and your risk factors to recommend health screenings tailored to your needs. For instance, he may recommend a mammogram, Pap smear, or HPV test to screen for breast cancer and cervical cancer, two of the most common types of cancer among women.

He may screen for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to help you and your partner stay healthy, or he may recommend other health screenings, like a bone density screening or colon cancer screening, depending on your age and other factors, like a family history of the disease. Regular screenings help you receive treatment as early as possible, too.

2. They help prevent problems

Screenings and exams are a big part of your annual visit, but Dr. Robertson also focuses a lot on disease prevention. In addition to making sure you receive appropriate medical testing, he provides patients with lifestyle guidance to help them stay healthy.

Based on your medical needs and health goals, he can help you learn to improve your diet, enjoy being more physically active, drop unwanted pounds, improve your sleep habits, and even manage your stress more effectively. He can also recommend vaccinations to help ward off serious diseases.

3. They’re “tuned in” to your evolving needs

Many women incorrectly assume that a well-woman visit is focused on reproductive issues, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Well-woman exams are tailored to each woman’s unique and changing needs, helping you stay healthy at every stage of life.

Dr. Roberts can guide you to make the best choices around contraception and family planning. But he also monitors for early signs of osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer, and other health risks that tend to be more common at different stages of life. That includes menopause care and recommendations for health screenings as you get older, as well.

4. They help you manage your overall wellness

Well-woman visits may focus on health issues that solely or primarily affect women, but they also include overall wellness evaluations, too. During your visit, Dr. Roberts and his team perform key screenings, measuring your blood pressure and weight, listening to your heart and lungs, and reviewing your medical history to assess your risk factors.

He also screens for depression and orders lab work to check for STDs and markers of chronic diseases, like high cholesterol. Having annual visits enables Dr. Robertson to maintain a record of your health, making it easier to spot subtle changes that could be early signs of disease.

5. They build trust and confidence

Part of staying healthy and getting appropriate care is feeling confident enough in your provider to speak openly about all your concerns. Having annual well-woman visits helps build that trust, so you can feel comfortable asking questions and discussing potentially sensitive topics.

Having a trusting relationship supports better communication, which in turn helps ensure you receive the best care for your health needs, your lifestyle, and other factors, so you can play a more proactive role in your overall wellness.

Don’t skip your next well-woman visit

No matter how busy you are, it’s important to make time for your annual well-woman visit. Considering your visit will only take about an hour, it’s a small investment that can provide you with a lifetime of healthy benefits.

To schedule your well-woman visit, call 936-756-7788 or book an appointment online with the team at OB/GYN Associates of Conroe in Conroe, Texas, today.