Women's Health

What is women’s health?

Women’s health is a field of medicine particularly dedicated to female health. Women’s health exams are necessary to maintain your long-term wellness if you’re a woman or have female reproductive organs. These exams focus on your sexual and reproductive system, which is different between the sexes. At Cermak Immediate Care, the team also emphasizes gynecology, which involves the treatment of women’s diseases – especially those of the reproductive organs.

During a women’s health exam, your provider checks your:

• Vagina
• Vulva
• Cervix
• Uterus
• Ovaries
• Fallopian tubes
• Breasts

Like annual physicals, women’s health exams are preventive in nature, and you don’t have to be experiencing symptoms to schedule one. Instead, you should keep these appointments even if you feel perfectly healthy because they can be instrumental in identifying early signs of certain women’s health conditions.

What occurs in a women’s health exam?

Your women’s health exams vary based on your age and your medical history. Not all appointments include every possible step, but your next women’s health exam might involve a:

Pelvic exam
You get a pelvic exam at every women’s health exam. Your provider looks over your pelvic organs for signs of abnormalities, diseases, or dysfunction.

Pap smear
A Pap smear is a screening test for cervical cancer. If your provider finds suspicious cells on your cervix, they may ask you to come back for a colposcopy. You need a Pap smear every few years starting at age 21.

Breast exam
Your provider examines your breasts and teaches you to examine your own breasts for lumps that might indicate breast cancer.

Mammogram
A mammogram is a screening test for breast cancer. Most women don’t need these until age 40 or 50.

Based on the examination findings, your provider orders testing if they have any suspicions about your health.

What can I discuss with my provider at a women’s health exam?

During your women’s health exam, you can confidentially ask your provider questions about your sexual and reproductive health. However, you don’t need to limit yourself to topics surrounding sex and reproduction.

Your provider at Cermak Immediate Care can discuss your overall health with you and identify links between different systems and their ailments.

Women’s health visits at Cermak Immediate Care can go over topics like:

• Hormone replacement
• Birth control management and family planning
• Breast health
• Pelvic health
• Urinary health
• Menstruation
• Sexuality
• Menopause
• Your weight

Your provider can also help you manage conditions affecting women’s sexual and reproductive health, like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis. If you are ever experiencing severe pain or discomfort related to these conditions, the skilled team at Cermak Immediate Care can help.

Schedule your next women’s health exam over the phone or online today. Walk-ins are always welcome.