Have you heard (or said) this before? “I’m done having children. I don’t need to see my OB-GYN for an annual exam
anymore.”
Think again. Seeing your OB-GYN for an annual wellness exam is still very important!
Why? Your OB is also a gynecologist. While you may know your OB-GYN best for helping to care for you during pregnancy, they have a lot of other areas within their medical practice.
Gynecology is the medical and surgical treatment of disease of the female reproductive tract—ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina, and external genitals.
As part of routine health maintenance, many gynecologists also screen for diseases of the breast, bones, cardiovascular, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems. They also focus on issues with sexual and mental health. Gynecologists are surgeons performing procedures such as hysterectomies, removal of the ovaries, and treatment of endometriosis.
Here are 11 reasons you should continue to visit your OB-GYN annually:
1. An Annual Pelvic Exam is Important
An annual gynecologic exam is a preventive measure to address issues before they become a problem. It can help you increase your awareness of what lies ahead for you as you age, help you stand up to potential health challenges, and increase your quality of life. Issues you may think you just have to live with are often more manageable than you might think. 
During a pelvic exam, a gynecologist looks at and feels the size and shape of the external and internal reproductive organs, including the vulva (outside), vagina, uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes (inside). Generally, the whole exam takes no more than five minutes.
The exam helps to make sure that your reproductive organs are healthy. It also helps detect medical conditions (such as infections or abnormal Pap smears) that could become serious if not treated.
2. Keep up with General Gynecologic Upkeep
In addition to your pelvic health, an annual visit to your OB-GYN is a good opportunity to address other issues, including:
- Contraception management
- Menstrual cycle concerns, including painful, heavy, or irregular periods, or PMS and irritability
- Sexual dysfunction including loss of sexual interest, arousal, or pain with sex
- Bladder control
- Vaginal dryness
If you experience any problems in between appointments, remember you can always schedule to see your OB-GYN at any time. They are there to help you with all of your women’s health needs.
3. Helps You Stay Current with Medical Screenings
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends cervical cancer screening (pap smear) as follows:
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Age 21‒24 |
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Age 25‒29 |
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Age 30‒65 |
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Age 65 and older |
No screening if a series of prior tests were normal |
It’s Important to be these consistent with these screenings, especially if you have a history of abnormal paps.
Other Tests and Health Screenings for Women Over 35
After the age of 35, additional tests and health screenings for women are often introduced at your annual appointment. Talk to your gynecologist to make sure you have all of the appropriate women’s health tests completed as you age.
- Annual exam. You should have a doctor's exam completed every year, which includes a full check-up and breast exam.
- Mammogram. Without a family history of cancer, women should start having mammograms at age 40. Earlier cancer screenings may be recommended if you have a history of breast cancer in your family.
- Lipid screening. This blood test should be completed every five years and is used to test cholesterol levels.
- Thyroid screening. Many women report symptoms of fatigue, increased weight gain, and depression between the ages of 35 and 50, and sometimes these can be caused by an over or underactive thyroid. A blood test is typically completed every five years to test for this.
- Fasting blood sugar diabetes test. As you approach mid-life, you should be tested regularly for diabetes. Your doctor may recommend tests every five years.
With an understanding of your health risk factors after age 35 and the additional tests you may require as you age, you can gain a greater understanding of your health priorities.
4. Discuss Changes in Sexual Health
Sexual health is important to all women regardless of age or relationship status. While female sexual dysfunction is common, very few women are comfortable talking about it. Nearly 50% of American women suffer from sexual dysfunction at some time in their life.
You’ve developed a relationship with your OB-GYN providers over the years,
and they are already familiar with your health history.
You can trust them to help you understand even the most uncomfortable topics.
If sexual problems are not addressed, they can begin to erode the emotional connection between a woman and her partner. Some women cope with or even ignore symptoms of sexual dysfunction despite the impact on their quality of life. Sexuality in women is influenced by multiple physical, psychological, and social factors.
Although there is no “magic pill” to cure sexual dysfunction, the providers at Moreland OB-GYN are able to discuss your concerns in a respectful and comfortable environment. Conditions like hot flashes and night sweats associated with perimenopause or vaginal dryness can be brought under control, starting with a conversation.
5. Discuss Perimenopausal and Menopausal Weight Control
Your annual OB-GYN appointment can also be thought of as an annual wellness exam, including a discussion of weight. If you’re over the age of 40, there are a multitude of factors that make it harder to lose weight, including changing hormone levels, lower metabolic rate, genetics, and muscle loss.
Your Moreland OB-GYN doctor understands how frustrating it can be for anyone who is eating right and exercising regularly to not see their hard work translating to weight loss. We take the time to carefully evaluate your wellness goals and make sure that you’re on the right track.
We’re happy to answer any questions that you have surrounding weight loss and any area related to women’s health. We believe in the importance of delivering a personalized care plan tailored specifically to your needs.
6. Review Changes in Family History
Your annual gynecologist exam is a good opportunity to update your records with changes in your family’s health history.
Changes in family history can help your OB-GYN determine any additional tests or screenings that should be completed to monitor your health. For example, if your mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in the last year, that would affect your screening guideline for when you need a mammogram.
7. Get a Rectal Exam
Annual rectal vaginal exams are typically reserved for women who are menopausal and 60 or more years old. However, they may be recommended if a patient experiences a lot of constipation, or rectal cancer runs in your family.
Why is this so important? Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and it is the third most common cancer in men and in women. It is important that you are appropriately evaluated by your family doctor, and your OB-GYN can provide added support if needed. When colorectal cancer is found at an early stage before it has the opportunity to spread, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 90%.
If necessary, some clinicians will complete the pelvic exam by doing a rectal examination, placing one finger in the rectum and one finger in the vagina. The reason for this is the clinician can feel much higher and deeper in the pelvis to make sure everything is normal.
8. Monitor Menstrual Cycle
If you’re suffering from problem periods, discuss it with your OB-GYN. Make an appointment to discuss any of the following:
- Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea)
- Irregular periods
- Heavy bleeding
- Unusual (abnormal) bleeding
- Missing periods (amenorrhea)
- Menstrual migraine
You don’t have to live with pain and discomfort. Your Moreland provider can help you find solutions to manage, alleviate, or eliminate the problem.
9. Discuss Bone Density
Our bodies go through a continuous bone-building cycle. Old bone is broken down and new bone is formed. Bone loss is caused by an imbalance in this cycle where more bone is broken down and rebuilt incompletely.
During your annual appointment, your OB-GYN may discuss risk factors that can affect bone density — age, race, family history, and lifestyle, among others.
If you are at risk of developing osteoporosis, you may require a Bone Density Test, 
which is a quick, painless scan used to:
- Detect low bone density before you break a bone.
- Predict your chances of breaking a bone in the future.
- Confirm a diagnosis of osteoporosis if you have already broken a bone.
- Determine whether your bone density is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable.
- Monitor your response to treatment.
If you have low bone density, your Moreland provider will also counsel you on
ways to increase it, including lifestyle changes and exercise.
10. Check-Ups After Gynecological Surgery
For women who have had a hysterectomy with oophorectomy—removal of the uterus and one or both ovaries—follow-up exams with your gynecologist are still important. Your OB-GYN will want to make sure everything feels normal. In addition, the removal of ovaries will trigger menopause. So you may benefit from a discussion about your new life stage and options like hormone replacement therapy.
And in the case of women who have had a history of abnormal pap smears, having a hysterectomy doesn't necessarily mean they're done with pap smears. Your physician may still need to screen the vaginal cuff for abnormalities and rule out cervical cancer.
11. Focus on Preventive Health
Everything you do today affects your future health. In fact, the choices you make today affect all of the following in the not-so-distant future:
- Will you be an unhealthy weight?
- Will you develop heart disease?
- Will you suffer a stroke?
- Will you develop osteoporosis?
If you’re between the ages of 35 and 50, you have a unique opportunity to positively impact your future health through the choices made today. It’s called preventive health care, and for women, it’s very important to consider.
Proactive management of your health risk factors through lifestyle choices and a preventative health care strategy is something you should address now with the help of your OB-GYN. Why? Because as you navigate through these years, your body is also changing as it approaches perimenopause and menopause.
The experts at Moreland OB-GYN have created resources to help women make proactive healthcare decisions that will improve future wellness through early perimenopause, perimenopause, and early menopause.
Conclusion
Regular annual visits with your OB-GYN for care and guidance through all your life stages can help you look and feel your very best.
At Moreland, we know that every woman is unique. Our approach is to look at the whole picture when it comes to women’s health. We evaluate physical, emotional, psychological, cultural, and familial conditions. Annual OB-GYN visits are key to helping our patients achieve holistic, balanced well-being.
Moreland OB-GYN specializes in women’s health care and prioritizing the needs of our patients at all ages and stages of life. We hope you’ll connect with us to answer your questions, and we hope you’ll turn to our experts as a trusted source for information.
