Well-Woman Exam

A well-woman exam is a comprehensive evaluation of your whole health, including your reproductive organs. Women’s life stages center around reproductive health, starting with their first period and continuing throughout menopause.

Many things may happen between the time when your period starts and the day when your period ends, including abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, infertility, and pregnancy. These health conditions may affect your physical and emotional well-being.

The well-woman exam is part of your preventive health plan, identifying health concerns early when they’re easier to treat.

The details of your well-woman exam at Federal Way Women’s Health Care depend on your age and gynecological history. The team provides adolescent and adult gynecology exams. 

Your provider reviews your medical and gynecological history and asks about any concerns you have. They may also perform a physical, pelvic, and breast exam.

Then, they talk with you about your health and provide various treatments to meet your health needs such as birth control for family planning (including placement of an IUD), hormone therapy for menopause, and treatment options for bladder control. 

Federal Way Women’s Health Care performs different tests during a well-woman exam. Common tests include:

Pap smear

A Pap smear is a screening test for cervical cancer. During your pelvic exam, your provider collects cells from your cervix and sends them out to a pathology lab for testing. 

Cancer screening

In addition to Pap smear, the team may recommend other cancer screenings such as a mammogram for breast cancer or a colonoscopy for colon cancer.

Cholesterol screening

Cholesterol screening is a blood test that checks your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers. High cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease.

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing

STD testing checks for common STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea. They may also check for human papillomavirus (HPV).

When left undiagnosed and untreated, STDs in women can cause infertility or cancer. 

Ultrasound test

Your provider may also order an ultrasound test following your physical exam to confirm or rule out health concerns such as fibroids or ovarian cysts that might explain symptoms like abnormal bleeding or pelvic pain.

Osteoporosis

You might be recommended for a bone scan to check for signs of osteoporosis, a common bone condition affecting older women.

If you need a well-woman exam for you or your child, call Federal Way Women’s Health Care or schedule an appointment online today.