Well Woman Exam

At Reflections OB/GYN in the Viera area of Melbourne, Florida, Mark Sargent, MD, MBA, FACOG and nurse practitioners, Alison Badders APRN, and Laura Burgess FNP-BC, offer comprehensive preventive care to protect your health as a woman. The team provides routine well-woman exams, Pap smears, and STD testing to ensure your reproductive system is functioning optimally. If you’re looking for a reliable, compassionate OB/GYN specialist for a routine well-woman exam, schedule a consultation at Reflections OB/GYN today using the online booking system or by calling the office.

Well Woman Exam Q&A

What’s a well-woman exam?

A well-woman exam is a routine checkup of your gynecologic and overall health. Dr. Sargent and the nurse practitioners at Reflections OB/GYN recommend scheduling your well-woman exam once a year, or more frequently if you have existing health conditions.

The purpose of the well-woman exam is to identify signs of disease or dysfunction in your reproductive system in the earliest stages, when treatment is most successful. Dr. Sargent and his nurse practioners provide comprehensive exams for teens and women of all ages as part of their preventive health care services.

What can I expect during a well-woman exam?

To keep you comfortable throughout your well-woman exam, the staff at Reflections OB/GYN provide you with a warm gown and socks. They calll everyone personally for their results. They take the time to discuss your current health and any changes since your last visit. They also review your personal and family medical history to identify your risk factors for certain hereditary diseases, like polycystic ovary syndrome.

The team performs pelvic exams, manual evaluations of your inner reproductive organs, including your uterus and cervix. During this exam, they may also take a swab of cervical cells for testing at a medical lab. This test, known as a Pap smear, is a preventive screening tool for cervical cancer.

As part of your well-woman exam, your provider also does a manual breast examination to check for lumps or other abnormalities that may indicate breast cancer. The team can also refer you for preventive mammograms.

Depending on your age and lifestyle, your provider may recommend testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and human papillomavirus (HPV).

Your well-woman exam is also a great time to discuss any questions you have about your reproductive and sexual health with Dr. Sargent and the nurse practitioners. You can also receive family planning and birth control counseling during your appointment.

What happens if my well-woman exam test results are abnormal?

If the results of your Pap smear are abnormal, it doesn’t mean you have cervical cancer. You may need another Pap smear or other diagnostic testing to determine the reason for your results. Recent sexual activity and urinary tract infections are common reasons not related to cancer for abnormal Pap smear results.

For any STD or HPV tests that come back as abnormal, the Reflections OB/GYN team customizes a care plan to treat the infection and prevent the spread of the disease to others.

If it’s been more than a year since your last well-woman exam, schedule an appointment by phone or online today at Reflections OB/GYN.