Annual Well Women Exam

Annual Well-Women Exam

Our professional staff and board-certified OB/GYN will ensure you’re comfortable as we gently conduct a breast and pelvic exam as well as a Pap smear for early detection of potential issues.

A crucial gynecological service offering at GoFertility is once-a-year assessments performed by our professional staff. These annual well-women examinations conducted by Dr. Saji Jacob — board-certified as an OB/GYN in 2006 — include a general health checkup. Dr. Jacob and our team will additionally assess the following during your annual visit to our facility in Creve Coeur:

General physical exam
Breast exam
Pelvic exam
Pap smear
Review of your current health and family health history
Update on current medications (please bring your current list)
Need for medication refills
Evaluation of your need for additional health screenings, such as a mammogram or colon cancer screening

What to Expect During a Well-Woman Exam

Like your annual physical exam with a primary care physician, a well-woman assessment takes inventory of your current health status to better understand if there is a need to screen for any potential issues. The focus during a well-woman exam is on your reproductive health — specifically your vagina, cervix, uterus and breasts. Topics such as changes in your menstrual cycle, birth-control options and your overall mental health should be discussed with Dr. Jacob and our team.

GoFertility staff will take your weight, pulse and blood pressure at the beginning of the
well-woman exam. You will then be provided a gown, left alone in the examination room and given as much time as you need to change into the gown and prepare for the checkup. We’ll ensure you are ready for Dr. Jacob to begin the comprehensive examination. He will then conduct the breast exam, pelvic exam and Pap smear, and here is how each of those are completed:

Breast Exam

This pain-free assessment ensures you don’t have atypical lumps, potential cysts, rashes, dimplings or any other abnormalities on your breasts. You will be asked to put your arms in different positions — including over your head, relaxing by your sides and pressed against your hips — so any size or shape difference between your breasts can be checked.

Your breasts, underarms and collarbone area will be gently massaged with small movements for lumps and abnormalities. Locating any atypical lumps — which will be
pea-sized, harder to the touch and oddly shaped — is one of the primary objectives of the breast exam. If any abnormal lumps are detected, further tests will be recommended to diagnose the issue. Catching potentially cancerous lumps early is critical and part of why well-woman exams are administered annually.

Pelvic Exam

After conducting an external examination, Dr. Jacob will put on gloves and gently place a lubricated speculum into your vaginal canal to check your vagina, cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. Some pressure will then be placed on the middle and sides of your abdomen to check for any pain or tenderness. The shape and position of your uterus — as well as uncovering enlarged ovaries, cysts or tumors — is the objective of this assessment. A gloved finger in the patient’s rectum helps check the muscles between your vagina and anus.

Pap Smear

Conducted in tandem with the pelvic exam, the Pap smear is a swipe of your cervix with a small brush or spatula. This small and gentle brushing allows for the collecting of cells, which are then examined under a microscope for cervical cancer or cell changes that could lead to this cancer. Though Pap smears only screen for cancer, they can help detect any abnormalities.

Significance of Well-Woman Exams

Annual well-woman exams at GoFertility are potentially life-saving assessments. Our experienced team will make sure you are comfortable and well taken care of throughout your time in our office. We will efficiently complete the checkup but will also take as much time as necessary with you and answer any questions you have. If at any point you have questions or concerns about your reproductive health, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at 314-473-1285.