Like many women, you’ve probably been tempted at times to put your own health second to everyone else’s! It’s what women so often do. But it’s not a good move long term. Women’s health matters for all sorts of reasons. And obviously, if you don’t look after yourself, you won’t be able to look after others.
We all make excuses for not attending primary care appointments. Do the following thoughts strike a chord?
“I’m really busy with work and school right now, and I feel healthy. I know I should probably get check-ups, but scheduling appointments and dealing with insurance is a hassle. I’ll think about it if I start feeling unwell.”
Or this one:
“I’ve been managing my own health for years, and I don’t like going to the doctor unless I have to. I’m concerned about having too many medications or unnecessary treatments. Besides, I’m more focused on taking care of my family.”
They both sound perfectly valid reasons for skipping a primary care appointment for your women’s annual checkup! But they’re actually self-sabotaging, because they can leave you possibly less healthy to do all that caring!
So, let’s take a closer look at the role of primary care in women’s health and move it up the agenda for all of us!
What Do Women’s Healthcare Specialists Offer in Primary Care?
This isn’t a complete list. But to give you an idea of what a primary care physician does, or what you might be missing if you skip your annual visits, here are some common procedures and services:
- Annual physical exams
- Pap smears
- Vaccinations
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Cholesterol monitoring
- Diabetes management
- Asthma management
- Prescription of medications
- Minor surgical procedures (e.g., mole removal)
- Mental health screening
- Lifestyle counseling (e.g., smoking cessation, weight management, nutrition advice)
- Referrals to specialists
Women’s health centers often provide special times when you can have a women’s wellness checkup or a women’s annual checkup. If you attend regularly for these, as well as when you have an acute need, your doctor will be able to keep track of your complete medical history.
The benefit is your doctor already understands you and your medical history when you attend for your next primary care visit. It’s joined-up work – in your favor.
So – let’s look at all the other benefits of primary care next.
Women’s Health Benefits When Making Regular Primary Care Visits
Your primary care doctor values the role of primary care (as opposed to more specialist care under an ObGyn consultant) due to the following five benefits for you.
Preventive Care for Women to Keep You Well
Early detection of any health issue – such as the possibility of breast or cervical cancer – is crucial. If they’re caught and treated early, you will find it more than repays the time you spent making room for a primary care appointment!
Accurate Assessment and Personalized Health Advice
If your women’s healthcare specialist in primary care knows you well from your regular yearly visits, they can do their assessment from a position of understanding you and your body. This is likely more accurate and useful. And if you want, for example, advice about losing weight or maintaining your target weight, they can help you with advice that’s geared to you and your body at any life stage.
Managing Your Long-Term Health
Especially as you go through these life stages, regular health screenings can help in managing chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. These conditions can develop slowly and silently, so regular check-ups are vital in keeping them in check.
Building a Relationship You Can Trust
We mentioned earlier about building a relationship in terms of your primary care physician knowing your medical history, but it’s also about trust. When you know they’re focused on you and on women’s health, they become an ally you can trust to guide you in all your health decisions. You will feel free to be honest, and they will be able to provide care that’s aligned with your health goals. Perfect!
Empowering You to Take Charge of Your Health
Within this environment of trust and care, you gain knowledge about your health. You may, for example, learn how important prenatal tests are for you and your baby. This knowledge, in turn, empowers you to make informed decisions about your health. Because there are always some decisions in women’s health that fall on you. Will you have this latest vaccination or not? Will you choose surgery or continue with pills?
The Importance of Primary Care in Women’s Health
Your primary care doctor is therefore at the heart of a strategy that supports your health as a woman throughout your life – from before your first period to the years after your menopause.
Of course, you may never need to use secondary specialist care. But if you do – for times like having a hysterectomy or a medical procedure – your primary care physician is who can connect and coordinate your care. As a specialist in women’s health, they’ll also be providing you with the services you need both before and after secondary care for example, prenatal care. It therefore makes sense to have a relationship with them already. They’ll understand your unique needs much better!
Do women have unique needs? Yes!
For example, during a women’s wellness checkup or a women’s annual checkup, when you’re discussing any symptoms that concern you, your primary care physician applies their expertise in women’s health to a wide variety of issues like:
- Recognizing that symptoms for a heart attack in women are not the same as for a man.
- Assessing how endometriosis might show up in less obvious ways.
- Understanding how to give pre-conception advice or menopause advice with a woman’s perspective in mind.
- Recognizing which other health issues you run the risk of due to having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Did you know that your body differs in structure and function from that of a man? Not in the obvious things! But things like your brain responds in different ways and even processes medication differently.
All these differences show up the importance of primary care in women’s health – with primary care physicians focused on your needs as a women.
Stella Mattina – Primary Care Where Women’s Health Matters
At Stella Mattina, we believe excellent healthcare should be available to all women everywhere. If you’re looking for a primary care physician who takes a women’s focus, contact us today and let’s find a primary care doctor in Texas near you.
Dr. Krum is currently in practice in Arlington, TX. He received his undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University, then attended UTMB Galveston for medical school, finishing in 1986, completing his residency there in 1990. Providing a full range of obstetrical and gynecological care, he specializes in the treatment of endometriosis and robotic surgery. He arranges his schedule so that same-day appointments are usually available.