Health Maintenance
Health Maintenance will include:
- Vaginal exam with pap testing
- Breast exam
- Thyroid
- Glucose & cholesterol check
- Colonoscopy referral
- Bone density referral
- Nutrition and exercise
Pap test
A pap smear is a microscopic examination of cells scraped from the cervix that is used to detect cancerous or precancerous conditions of the cervix.
How should you prepare for a Pap test?
Many things can cause wrong test results by washing away or hiding abnormal cells. For two days before the test you should avoid:
- Douching
- Using tampons
- Using vaginal creams, suppositories, and medicines
- Using vaginal deodorant sprays or powders
- Having sex
Depending on the abnormality, specific follow-up will be recommended. This can be anything from simple treatment of mild infection or repeating your pap smear or further evaluation with colposcopy.
Think of cervical cancer as a slow progression from totally normal to abnormal and eventually malignant and cancerous. Our goal is finding an abnormality on the normal end of the time line, so we can prevent it from progressing further.
First initial pap is performed at 21 years of age, every two years thereafter until the age of 30, then every 3 years until the age of 65 providing you have and continue to have normal results.