Physical Assessment of Well Women | Women’s Health Checklist by Age
What is a Well-Woman Visit?
Physical Examination of Well Women:
A well-woman exam is a recommended yearly appointment for women who are n he reproductive years. The goal of this exam is to help you track and monitor your gynecological health, and to intervene if there are any problems that have to do with your fertility, your menstrual cycle, or your sexual health.
What Happens During a Well-Woman Visit?
Physical Assessment of Well Women:
What happens during your well-woman visit (some people call it a well woman exam) depends on a few things, like how old you are, your sexual history, and medical history.
It’s a good idea to have your first well-woman visit around age 13 to 15. It may just be a talk with your doctor plus a regular physical exam. Your doctor or nurse will check your height, weight and blood pressure.
You might talk about your period, especially if you’re worried about it being heavy, painful, or irregular. If you’re under 18, you may get some shots, like the HPV vaccine, as well, if you’re sexually active (meaning you’ve had vaginal, anal, or oral sex), you may talk about birth control or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) testing.
Around age 21, you’ll start needing regular pelvic exams, Pap tests, and breast examinations. And as you get older, or as your health changes, your well-woman visits will include other tests and referrals for stuff like mammograms.
One thing that stays the same, no matter how old you are, is building a good, honest relationship with your doctor or nurse. You can talk about healthy relationships and other parts of your emotional health during your well-woman visit. The more honest you are the better care you’ll get.
Have a breasts and/or a vagina but don’t identify as a woman? It’s still a good idea to have these kinds of check-ups with your nurse or doctor, along with any trans care you’re receiving.
What are the important health and prevention issues that are addressed during the Well Woman Examination?
Some of the important health and prevention issues that are addressed during the Well woman examination are noted below. Adolescent annual examinations include additional issues specific to their age group, such as normal growth and development, peer pressure, bullying and injury prevention.
- Past medical, surgical & family histories,
- Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes & obesity screening,
- Exercise, nutrition, safety concerns,
- Pre-pregnancy counseling & family planning,
- Sexual practices, sexually transmitted infections, contraception,
- Depression & intimate partner violence,
- Use & misuse of tobacco, alcohol & other substances & their consequences,
- Immunization recommendations,
- Cervical & breast cancer risks & prevention,
- Colorectal cancer risks & prevention,
- Skin cancer risks & prevention,
- Heart disease & stoke risks & prevention,
- Infectious disease risks & prevention,
- Osteoporosis risks & fracture prevention,
- Chronic disease prevention & management,
- Menopause issues,
- End of life / advanced directives issues & counseling.
More questions related to this article:
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