Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear Exam in Miami

Pelvic exams and pap smear exams are some of the most important parts of preventive care for women. Unfortunately, many women tend to forget or neglect the yearly checkups they should be having with their OB/GYN, so they skip these exams. Even if you don’t have noticeable symptoms, you should still have these checkups to be safe. 

Annual Well-Woman Exam in Miami

Starting at 21, annual checkups to your gynecologist or OB/GYN are a must. While many women never feel the need to see these specialists during their teen years, it is highly recommended that you begin seeing an OB/GYN yearly to start your preventive care as an adult.

This checkup that your doctor should be administering is called a well-woman exam, which includes preventive screenings for breast and gynecological diseases. We also recommend starting your yearly checkups three years after becoming sexually active. 

After your first exam at Dr. Susan Fox’s Center for Women, our skilled medical examiners will be able to determine how often you should return for a checkup, but the typical recommended time is within a year. 

 At Dr. Susan Fox’s Center for Women, we recognize that many women feel anxious about the exams during a checkup, so it is our goal to ensure that every patient that walks into our clinic feels comfortable, safe, and at ease. 

Our professionals take special care in performing quick and effective examinations that will be both informative and helpful.

During your time with Dr. Susan Fox, she’ll ask you some questions about your health and lifestyle, and answer any questions you may have about your body. 

Your doctor will also perform a physical exam of your breasts and pelvis. The well-woman exam is a great time to discuss pre-pregnancy counseling and conduct screenings for sexually transmitted diseases. 

Two important procedures in the well-woman exam are the pelvic exam and the pap smear exam.

Pelvic Exam in Miami

What does a pelvic exam aim to do? Essentially, this physical exam checks for uterine or ovarian abnormalities and screens for cervical cancer. 

We recommend scheduling your pap smear exam in the Miami area to be performed within 10 to 20 days after your menstrual cycle, avoiding the use of vaginal products, douching and sexual activity during the days before the appointment.

Once you are appropriately situated with Dr. Susan Fox or our other medical professionals, they will examine the surrounding genital regions, such as the urethra, the vulva folds, etc. for any signs of abnormal discharge, cysts, inflammation, or genital warts. If everything looks normal, this is a quick and easy process. 

A speculum will then be inserted into the birth canal to gain a close look into the vagina and cervix. The speculum is a stainless steel or plastic device that looks like a duckbill. 

Women should breathe deeply and try to relax their vaginal, rectal, and abdominal muscles while your doctor inserts the speculum. 

Sometimes doctors will warm up the speculum beforehand to make you feel more relaxed. After inserting the speculum, we’ll utilize a cervical brush to scrape certain areas and collect an endocervical and ectocervical sample. 

These samples are then sent to a lab for testing and evaluation, where we make sure to give you the most accurate results. Pelvic exams are nothing to worry about, and it’s a routine process that you can expect from your gynecology visit at Dr. Susan Fox’s Center for Women. 

This exam is relatively short, and our professionals do everything within their power to help you feel calm and relaxed. Should you feel any discomfort or have any questions or concerns, our team is happy to help you.

Pap Smear Exam in Miami | Dr. Susan Fox’s Center for Women’s Health

The procedure of gathering the endocervical and ectocervical sample is called a pap smear exam. 

This is another routine and quick part of the pelvic exam process, so it’s a typical part of a well-woman examination. This test is performed to search for any early signs of serious abnormalities such as cervical cancer. 

The lab results of your pap smear exam will allow our experts to address the issue in its early stages and could potentially prove to be life-saving. This is why our professionals view well-woman exams as preventive care. 

By consistently having yearly checkups, your OB/GYN will tell if anything is out of the ordinary. More importantly, your doctor will be able to diagnose any abnormality and treat it before it’s too late.

Dr. Susan Fox and her team are ready to give you the care you need! Book an appointment at our Miami office right through our website.