What to Expect at A Well Woman Exam

What Is the Purpose of a Woman's Well Exam?

A well-woman exam is a medical checkup focused on your reproductive health. It’s crucial to have one regularly after you become sexually active or reach age 21. These visits help your doctor keep you healthy by identifying and addressing any issues at their early stages.

It’s common to feel nervous or anxious about your first well-woman exam. However, your care team will understand your concerns and will put you at ease so that this vital visit isn’t stressful.

This article answers the question, “What is a well-woman exam?” It explains the difference between a well-woman exam vs. an annual physical, what to expect at a well-woman exam, and more.

Before Your Appointment

Preparing for your appointment helps make it as productive as possible.

Preparation Tips

• Don’t eat or drink anything (except water) in the eight hours before your appointment.
• If possible, schedule your appointment when you’re not on your period. However, your doctor can do a pelvic exam at any point in your cycle, so don’t delay your appointment because of your period.
• Consider avoiding the week before your period for your appointment so that your breasts aren’t tender for the breast exam.
• Refrain from sex for two to three days before your exam to enable the Pap smear to return the most accurate results.
• Avoid using vaginal medicines, creams, powders, birth control foams, douches, or tampons in the two or three days before your appointment for the same reasons as above.
• Be prepared to answer questions about your menstrual cycle and other aspects of your reproductive health.

Your doctor may have other well-woman exam preparation requirements.

During Your Appointment

Knowing what happens at a well-woman exam can reduce your stress about the appointment. Every doctor’s office operates a little differently, but you can expect the process to proceed like this:

Welcome and Check-in

• A staff member will greet you.
• They will alert the care team that you’ve arrived.
• You’ll typically need to complete paperwork regarding your medical history, insurance, etc.
• When your care team is ready, they’ll take you to an exam room.

Medical History Discussion

Your visit will start with your doctor asking you some questions. They’ll want information on your menstrual cycle, sexual history, and any current health concerns.

Physical Exams

What does a well-woman exam include? As you may have learned from your doctor or other women, a wellness exam has four parts: physical exam, breast exam, pelvic exam, and Pap smear (“Pap” is short for Georgios Papanikolaou, the Greek physician who developed the test).

It’s different from an annual physical, which assesses your body’s other systems (digestive, respiratory, etc.) and your overall health.

After Your Appointment

There are a couple of important things to be aware of after your well-woman exam, specifically:

Test results

At the end of your visit, your doctor will explain their findings. If any next steps are needed (additional testing, for example), they’ll explain them and why they’re required.

Schedule follow-up

If a follow-up visit is needed, it’s a good idea to schedule it now. If not, scheduling your next well-woman exam before you leave the doctor’s office is also wise. That way, it doesn’t slip your mind.

How often should you get a well-woman exam? Doctors typically recommend annual visits. If you need to be seen more frequently for any reason, your doctor will let you know.

The Importance of a Well-woman's Exam

Staying healthy requires a collaborative effort between you and your doctor. Well-woman exams are an essential part of that collaboration.

Seeing your physician annually or more often as recommended can prevent minor problems from becoming significant health issues and keep you feeling your best.

Next Steps and Useful Resources:

Learn More About Woman's Services at Baptist Health
Find a Provider Near You
What Is A Gynecologist And What Do They Do?
Preparing for a Mammogram