Well Woman Exams

At Murrieta Health and Aesthetics in Murrieta, CA, we understand that better health starts with regular screenings to detect and treat problems early on. Annual exams (also called well woman exams) are the first line of defense for every woman’s health.

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Important Health Screening Milestones

Your age and stage in life will determine what types of services and screenings you will need to have addressed at your annual checkups. These include such things as:

• Cervical Cancer Screening (Pap tests)
• STD Testing
• Birth Control Prescriptions
• Preconception Counseling
• Screening for Infertility Issues
• Screening for Irregular Periods
• Breast Cancer Screening
• Ovarian Cancer Screening
• Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancers
• Screening for Bothersome Menopausal Symptoms
• Osteoporosis Screening
• Blood Pressure Screening

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How Do I Prepare for My Well Woman Exam?

Expect to undergo a pelvic exam as it is the only way we can make sure your vagina, cervix, uterus, and ovaries are normal. Our providers will also offer to perform a breast exam to check for breast abnormalities.

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For 48 hours before your well woman exam:

A Pap test is cervical cancer screening. It can help to detect early precancerous changes in the cervix and prevent cervical cancer from developing. During a Pap test, a pelvic exam is performed and your provider will painlessly remove some cells from the outside of the cervix and send them to the lab for evaluation under a microscope.

• Avoid intercourse and the use of vaginal lubricants.
• Avoid using any types of vaginal sprays or powders.
• Avoid using tampons, pills, creams, and vaginal suppositories.
• Do not douche
• Call and reschedule your appointment if you think you will be on your period.

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What do I need to know about a Pap Test?

For the average-risk woman, cervical cancer screening begins at 21 years of age. Women ages 21 to 29 are advised to have a Pap test every 3 years.  For average-risk women 30 years and older, the Pap test only needs to be completed every 5 years because it is completed with HPV co-testing. For women who have remained up-to-date on their Pap tests and have never had an abnormal Pap result, Pap tests can be stopped at 65 years old.

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I Have an Abnormal Pap Test - Now What?

A positive Pap test result indicates that abnormal or atypical cells were detected on your cervix. It does not necessarily mean that you have cervical cancer, but it does require you to undergo further testing for cervical cancer. There are different types of abnormal results according to the cell type detected throughout your examination. Typically, the next step is a colposcopy, which is where your provider will examine your cervix using a unique magnifying device (called a colposcope) and take biopsies of any abnormal areas on the cervix. These tissue samples are then sent to a laboratory for further evaluation and final diagnosis.

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What Do I Need to Know About Genetic Testing?

Our office has partnered with a company called Myriad to offer genetic testing for multiple hereditary cancers. To see if you qualify, you can fill out a detailed family history questionnaire at your well woman exam and our staff will help you talk to a Myriad geneticist to discuss your answers. They will determine if your insurance covers you to undergo genetic testing.

Myriad genetic testing is done through a saliva sample that we send to the lab to be processed. Once we have your results, we will call you to come in to discuss them so we can educate you on any additional screening tests you qualify for annually.

You may qualify for genetic testing if you have a personal history of, or a 1st degree relative has a history of, any of the following:

• Triple-negative breast cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Breast cancer before the age of 45 years old
• Colorectal cancer before the age of 50 years old
• Metastatic prostate cancer
• Male breast cancer
• 2+ types of cancer in the same person

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You may also qualify if:

• You have a personal history of breast cancer at or after 45 years old with a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and/or prostate cancer in a 1^st or 2^nd degree relative
• 2+ people on the same side of your family had breast, pancreatic, colorectal and/or prostate cancer
• You are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent

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What Do I Need to Know About Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a medical condition where the bones of the skeleton are abnormally thin, weak, and brittle, which means they can easily break. There are risk factors that cannot be controlled, such as:

• Being female
• Having a small stature
• Being of Asian descent
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Having thyroid disease
• Having a history of gastric bypass
• Having an autoimmune condition (Lupus/SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, Chron’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis)

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Controllable risk factors include:

• Increasing your nutritional intake of calcium and vitamin D
• Not smoking
• Exercising (avoiding a sedentary lifestyle)
• Losing weight, if you are obese
• Decreasing your alcohol consumption
• Avoiding daily protonix (omeprazole) use
• Stopping daily oral steroid use (prednisone)
• Not taking Tamoxifen

Furthermore, when a woman enters menopause, the rate of her bone loss dramatically increases, which puts her at risk of osteoporosis if she does not use HRT. There is a screening test for osteoporosis called a DEXA scan. If you are postmenopausal and either have one of the chronic conditions listed above or are over the age of 65 years old, we recommend undergoing a baseline DEXA scan.