6 Reasons to Keep Your Annual Gynecologist Appointment

As women, we often tend to put the needs of others before our own. While this amazing quality can sometimes be a blessing, it can also be a curse! It’s very crucial that we take care of ourselves, and visiting the gynecologist annually is a common recommendation in the world of women’s health.    It allows you to maintain your own health and ensure your body’s reliability and efficiency. However, many of us question whether or not these annual gynecologist appointments are really necessary.    To simply answer your question, regular OB/GYN appointments are highly essential for a woman’s health. With that being said, here are some reasons to keep your annual gynecologist appointment.

Reasons to Keep Your Annual Gynecologist Appointment

 Prevents Health Risks

OB/GYN services can provide solutions such as vaccinations or even general information to prevent any health risks and help limit your exposure to STIs. Gynecologists are trained in helping us women detect possible issues and risk factors in our health, and can provide preventive medicines.  During your annual gynecologist appointment, you’ll be screened for things like bladder disease, STDs, breast cancer, osteoporosis and more. You’ll also go through a pelvic exam where your uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries and bladder will be examined to identify any potential problems.  It’s also crucial that you continue your annual gynecologist appointments to help maintain the correct kind of birth control (if applicable to you). Users should often switch their method of birth control, or else it could put you at risk for unplanned pregnancy.

Find the Right Birth Control For You

You can find the best kind of birth control for your lifestyle, with the help of your gynecologist. The pill is the most typical kind of birth control, but it requires sticking to a consistent schedule, and can also cause side effects.  All birth control side effects depend on your personal hormone levels and your gynecologist can help find one that synergizes with your body chemistry. Your gynecologist can also offer you other options to prevent conception, and act as an experienced guide to help find the right method for you. 

Reproductive Planning

Your gynecologist understands all aspects of the female reproductive system and can provide valuable information and offer services to help improve your reproductive health. Your gynecologist can also offer some personal insight if you plan on becoming pregnant.  Depending on the stage of life you’re in, reproductive health has various layers. Your gynecologist can help make informed decisions on things like the right time to start a family, fertility and birth defects.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 9 million women in the United States are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) each year. STIs can indeed lead to much worse problems if you don’t see your doctor in time and treat it.  It could raise the risk of chronic pelvic pain, life-threatening ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Untreated syphilis in pregnant women may result in infant death. You can easily have most STIs treated and not progress to more major complications and infections.

Early Detection of Health Problems 

Having a pelvic exam done when visiting a gynecologist will be able to catch infections and irregularities affecting your ovaries, uterus and cervix. You can also have a breast exam done to check for changes (if any) early on that might signal breast cancer risk.  Most appointments can include a pap smear as well, to detect cervical cancer early on. If there is a problem, early detection can allow you to receive proper treatment and improve the outcome.

Addresses Your Personal Needs

All women have their own specific health needs that change as they age, and your gynecologist can identify and address those needs. Certain things must be individualized on what the woman needs during that period of time in her life, and those things include:

• Hormonal changes.
• Menstrual problems. 
• Mood disorders. 
• Fertility. 
• Infections. 
• Preventive testing. 
• Substance abuse. 
• Domestic violence.

Gynecologists can help with all of this and more, as they specialize in women’s health. They can even refer you to the right specialist that can provide any treatment or care that they’re unable to provide themselves. 

Conclusion

To maintain the many aspects of your health, it’s crucial that you schedule annual appointments to see your gynecologist. If you have any concerns or symptoms, you should schedule much much sooner. This can help maintain your health and address your personal, age-specific needs. You can even ask questions and explore topics in a more private environment where no one is judged.  Schedule your gynecologist appointment with a specialist like Dr. Shabnam Dadgar, who can answer all your health-related questions and help you maintain quality health. Contact Shady Grove Gyn Care today to get started!