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Summary
Regular checkups with your health care provider are different from appointments for sickness or injury. Your checkups, which are also called well-woman exams, include physical exams as well as preventive care. They can help find health problems early, when they may be easier to treat.
Your checkup will include screenings for chronic diseases. As a woman, you may also get special exams and screenings, such as:
- A pelvic exam to check the health of your reproductive organs. The provider will look at your vulva, vagina, and cervix. They will also do an internal exam to feel the size and shape of your internal organs such as the uterus and ovaries.
- A cervical cancer screening, which uses a Pap test, an HPV test, or both. The tests can help prevent cervical cancer. A Pap test checks for cervical cancer and for abnormal cells that could turn into cancer. An HPV test looks for the types of HPV which can cause cervical cancer. For both tests, your provider will take a sample of cells from the surface of your cervix and send them to a lab to be examined under a microscope.
- A clinical breast exam to check for breast cancer. The provider will feel and look at your breasts and armpit area for lumps or other changes.
Which tests you get and how often you need them will depend on your age, overall health, and family health history. In some cases, your provider may also recommend other tests as well. For example, if you have a family history of certain cancers, your provider may recommend genetic testing.
During your checkup, you and your provider may also talk about other issues, such as:
- Birth control or family planning
- Menopause
- Menstrual concerns
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Vaccines
- Your overall health, including suggestions on how to have a healthy lifestyle
To make the most of your next checkup, bring a list of any questions or concerns you have, so you can talk about them with your provider.
Specifics
- Cervical Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Healthy Living by Age (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
- Mammograms (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
- Pap and HPV tests (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
- Pelvic Exam (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Pelvis Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Women's Health (National Institutes of Health)
Find an Expert
Teenagers
- Gyn Checkups (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Your Daughter's First Gynecology Visit (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Your First Pelvic Exam (Boston Children's Hospital) Also in Spanish
Older Adults
- What to Ask: Women's Health (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Cervical cancer - screening and prevention (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Health screenings for women age 65 and older (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Health screenings for women ages 18 to 39 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Health screenings for women ages 40 to 64 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Women's health (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish