Annual Exams

Here at Delaware Valley OBGYN we strive to make your annual exams as easy and as comfortable as possible. One of the most important reasons to visit gynecological care provider is to stay at the forefront of your health. If you are familiar with your body and its functions, you will know when something is not quite right, through education and discussion we can empower you and your health care decisions.

Women should begin seeing a gynecologist between the ages of 13 to 15, as recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or when you become sexually active, are having problems with your period, or are having unusual pain or discharge from the vagina. You should prepare for your visit by knowing the date of your last period.

Completing Annual Exams

You can choose to schedule your appointment with one of our OB/GYNs or Certified Nurse Midwives. Before the exam, we will collect a urine sample to test for any abnormalities as well as check your vital signs. Once in the exam room, we will conduct a thorough health history, and discuss any health concerns that you have.  We will then move onto the physical exam.

We may perform a breast exam to check for any pain, unusual lumps or irregularities in the breast tissue. We will also discuss breast awareness. You may or may not need a pelvic exam during your visit, your care provider will discuss this with you prior to your physical examination.  If you do need a pelvic exam, we will visually examine your vulva, vagina, and cervix, as well as conduct an internal exam, where we manually examine your reproductive organs – though you may feel discomfort, you should not feel pain.

You may or may not need a Pap smear during your annual exams depending on your age and Pap history. Pap smears collect cervical cells to check for the presence of abnormalities that could indicate an infection, an STI or cervical cancer. We’ll coordinate additional testing if needed and provide test results when available.

Some topics we might cover during your visit:

• Screening for sexually transmitted infection
• Screening for gynecologic and breast cancers
• Contraception
• Menopausal symptoms
• Fertility planning
• Sexual health