A Pap smear is a cervical cancer screening that begins for women at age 21. If your results come back negative, we repeat every three years.
At age 30, a combined test takes place, including a Pap smear with a human papillomavirus (HPV) test. If both come back negative, we repeat every three to five years. A different screening schedule, further testing and specialty care may be the next steps following a positive test result.
Even when you don’t need a Pap smear or gynecologic cancer screening done, you should still see your primary care doctor once every year.
It’s common for women to manage the health concerns of their family members, often putting their own health last. However, it’s important to prioritize your own well-being by checking in with your primary care provider regularly. During an annual checkup, your provider will review any health changes, family history updates, vaccination status and preventive cancer screenings.
Even if you’re feeling fine, regular visits are essential for maintaining long-term health. Consistent checkups help assess health risks, strengthen your relationship with your provider, encourage healthy habits and screen for medical issues.
Endometriosis is a painful condition that can show very evident symptoms in some women — or it can be hidden and go unrecognized. It occurs when the hormone estrogen overstimulates the growth of cells normally lining the inside of the uterus to grow outside of the uterus. Most commonly they grow on the uterine outer lining, ovaries, fallopian tubes, ligaments and other pelvic structures. The cells can also expand to grow on other organs and in other areas, such as the abdomen or the bowel (large intestine).
Some women with endometriosis don’t experience any symptoms. Others may have a range of symptoms, which can include chronic pelvic pain, debilitatingly painful periods, heavy menstrual flow, infertility, difficulty getting pregnant or pain with intercourse. Immediate treatment options include ibuprofen and hormonal medications — or in some cases, a doctor may recommend surgery.
To reduce your risk, focus on prevention. This means living a healthy lifestyle, eating well, exercising regularly, limiting exposure to harmful environmental factors and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
It's important to visit your primary care doctor every year. Health screenings, like a Pap smear or gynecologic cancer screening, at these appointments can help your doctor catch any minor issues that could signal a larger concern. Screenings can often detect cancer early during the most treatable phases. The sooner something problematic gets noticed, the more effective the treatment will be.
A hysterectomy is a surgery to remove the uterus and cervix. Unless you have a more invasive surgery, hysterectomy can be an outpatient procedure, where in most cases the patient will go home the same day.
If a woman is of child-bearing age, a hysterectomy is considered a last-resort measure as treatment for ongoing pain or health problems. A hysterectomy often resolves symptoms like heavy bleeding and pelvic pain. A woman might need this procedure as recommended by a doctor for a variety of reasons, which may include:
- Uterine fibroids
- Abnormal, irregular periods
- Pelvic pain
- Pain during intercourse
- Cancer
