As we continue to navigate the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to shine a light on healthcare elements that may have fallen by the wayside these past two years – like preventive care. For women, these challenges are compounded by a pre-pandemic gap in preventive care accessibility.¹

Women’s Health Highlight on Preventive Screenings

While preventive care priorities may look different to each individual, for most women, their screening needs can be assessed through a well woman visit. Here, we cover the basics of a well woman exam, screening tests and how staying ahead of health problems can help you take control of your health.

What’s in a Well Woman Visit?

A well woman exam is a periodic wellness check that helps women stay healthy at all stages of their life. This exam typically consists of a full checkup, including a physical exam, and can include types of preventive care such as:²

• Vaccines
• Screening tests
• Education and counseling

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services generally recommends scheduling a well woman visit every year.² Though, a January 2022 survey conducted by Hologic found that nearly 50% of women ages 16 to 54 had not seen a medical professional for a health screening in the past year.³

What Are Screening Tests?

“Screening” refers to medical tests that allow healthcare providers to test for diseases and health conditions before signs or symptoms occur. For many conditions, finding problems early on can allow for better treatment options.⁴ Some screening tests that your healthcare provider may recommend in a well woman visit include: ⁵

• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• HIV
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Certain cancers
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis

Stay Informed with Testing from BioReference and GenPath Women’s Health

According to the National Institutes of Health, receiving clinical preventive services can significantly improve health outcomes of women, and save thousands of lives per year.⁶ Even during unprecedented times, it’s important to stay on top of recommended screenings and informed about your risk for diseases like HPV, cervical cancer, and STIs. GenPath Women’s Health, a division of BioReference Laboratories, can help you stay on top of your health.

Take our unique co-testing approach to cervical cancer screening, for example. Available exclusively through GenPath Women’s Health, the revolutionary Pap Dependent HPV test maximizes the opportunity to detect your risk of cervical cancer by matching the appropriate HPV test to your Pap results.

Take charge of your health – consult your healthcare provider to see if it’s time to schedule your well woman exam, and discuss what screening options are medically appropriate for you. For an additional resource, download our patient guide to help you prepare for your well woman visit.

Sources:

1. ^{https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4643365/}
2. ^{https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/everyday-healthy-living/sexual-health/get-your-well-woman-visit-every-year#panel-1}
3. ^{https://investors.hologic.com/news/news-details/2022/Hologic-Launches-First-Ever-National-Advertising-Campaign-Featuring-Mary-J.-Blige/default.aspx}
4. ^{https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/doctor-visits/screening-tests/get-screened}
5. ^{https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/everyday-healthy-living/sexual-health/get-your-well-woman-visit-every-year#panel-4}