Proactive Wellness

The Importance of Annual Women’s Checkups in the Midst of a Pandemic

By Dr. Elizabeth Hultgren, M.D., Ph.D.– Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sanford Health

Annual checkups are the best way for you to touch base with your healthcare provider and help stay healthy, and it’s important to keep up with them even during the pandemic.

Plenty of people haven’t, and their health could suffer later. When COVID-19 hit, Americans scaled back routine visits in every area, from pediatrics to cancer screening to contraception. Mammograms and Pap smears were down more than 80% in April and continued to be down 25% in June from previous years.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 41% of U.S. adults had avoided medical care due to COVID-19 concerns.

Why should women have annual checkups?

Annual checkups are a time for yearly screenings, discussing changes in personal and family medical history, as well as identifying risk factors you can change to improve your overall health and wellness. For women, these exams often include:

• Screening for cancer (cervical, breast, colon, etc.)

• Discussing family planning needs, including the use of contraception

• Learning about signs and symptoms of menopause and how to manage them

Several topics within the field of gynecology are often considered taboo and thus not regularly discussed. Many women may feel that the symptoms they are experiencing are “normal” or “just part of the aging process.”

By keeping regular annual exams and discussions with your

provider, we can address and treat whatever signs and symptoms you may be experiencing and improve your overall quality of life.

Why do women tend to see their doctor less often once they are done having children?

Women as the matriarch of the household tend to put the needs of their family and loved ones above their own. They will often invest their time and energy into the health of their families, but may not exert the same attention to their own personal well-being.

Furthermore, many young women are relatively healthy and may not realize that there are important benefits to continuing yearly exams with their health care provider.

What do you say to patients unsure about annual exams?

First of all, it’s safe to seek care. Sanford Health has taken steps to make hospitals and clinics safe, including masking and screening all employees, social distancing in waiting rooms, limiting visitors, and keeping COVID-19 patients in separate units.

Even in a normal year, going to see a physician can be an intimidating experience. I try to reassure patients that a physician’s office is a judgement-free environment in which your provider is there to work with you in reaching your wellness goals and help keep you as healthy as possible.

Annual exams help ensure early detection of conditions you may have or be at risk for developing by setting a baseline for what is normal for you. It is easier to treat you when we identify disease early.

Additionally, regular exams focus on preventing or reducing problems before they start. By participating in regular exams, you can build a relationship with your provider and develop a trusting partnership for health care throughout your lifetime.

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