Ever had a visit to your OB-GYN? We normally don’t go to an OB unless we have a specific problem or we’re pregnant. OB-GYNs are considered the primary care physicians of women. An esteemed mentor of mine once said that a woman may never ever visit a doctor in her lifetime, except an OB-GYN.

Generally, OBs advocate for a well-checkup, just like when you had well-visits with your pediatrician before. This is to ensure that healthy as you come into a significant part of your life: reproductive-age to menopause.

Here are some of the things that your OB wants you to know:

A lot of diseases are preventable or manageable when diagnosed early.

Case in point: CERVICAL CANCER. 

A pap smear test is routinely done annually or every three years, depending on the type of test that you get. It is usually done starting from age 21, or three years from the onset of sexual contact. A speculum is an instrument inserted into the vaginal canal to visualize the cervix. A swab is then taken and sent to the laboratory for analysis. While a pap smear often has some degree of discomfort, it is quick and generally not painful.

A pap smear detects microscopic cellular changes leading to cervical cancer. If detected early while still in the pre-cancer stage, cervical cancer is prevented. The assurance that you get after negative Paps tests definitely will make the slight discomfort reasonable.

All breasts are created differently (LOL!)

Breasts undoubtedly are often overlooked by women. Only when we have symptoms such as pain do we really pay attention to these frontal mounds. Some breasts are symmetric, but one breast may be slightly larger (or smaller) than the other. OBs will encourage you to do a monthly self-breast exam after your period, and a clinical breast exam every three months. Non-cyclical pain, redness, skin changes, nipple discharges, and masses are some of the symptoms that should prompt you to have your doctor evaluate it further.

For breast cancer screening, an annual mammogram is reserved for those 40 years old and above. Should you need breast imaging and you’re under 40, a breast ultrasound may be applicable to you.

Vaginas don’t need much…cleaning (again, LOL!)

Okay, so first things first: A vulva is not the vagina. The vulva is the external part of the genitalia, while the vagina is the canal that extends from the vulva up to the cervix internally.

Women normally produce a small amount of lubrication around the time of ovulation and shortly before menstruating. The fluid is usually white or light yellow, odorless, and not itchy. Anything out of the ordinary is abnormal. 

One common misconception is that the vulvovaginal area needs much cleaning. Some women use a vaginal wash every time they pee (!!!) thinking that this makes their vagina healthier, cleaner, and smelling better. This frequent use of soap and sometimes vaginal douches are not advisable AT ALL. Overwashing with soap increases the vaginal pH, making it more alkaline and thus more susceptible to harmful bacteria and fungus. The general rule is that water is safer. If you need to use a vaginal wash, it is recommended to use it only once a day and only during your menstrual days. 

If you are also used to using pantyliners or sanitary pads, it is encouraged to change it frequently. Wet underwear, soaked pantyliners, and pads harbor bad bacteria too. Remember that the vagina has healthy bacteria that protect it from the bad ones.  Let us let these good bacteria do their job. 

Get your adult immunizations and general physical exams up to date.

A visit to the gynecologist is an excellent time to update your adult vaccinations. HPV, influenza shots, as well as boosters of your childhood vaccines like Hepatitis-B and MMR to name a few, can be given during your gynecologic check-up.

You may also want to ask your OB-GYN for a general check-up outside of your reproductive concerns. Your doctor will do a complete physical exam, may order for your labs or imaging, and refer you accordingly to a different specialist should you need it.

If you haven’t done it yet, consider visiting an OB-GYN soon even if you are not pregnant. He/she can help you in many ways so you can stay on top of your health!