Attention, Mamas! Your Health Matters, Too

As moms so used to caring for others all the time, we often put our own healthcare on the back burner. We consolidate and multi-task where we can, rushing from appointment to appointment. When it comes time for our annual gynecological (GYN) appointment, we often assume that we can also check “annual well visit” off the neverending list. But wait a sec!

Some women assume that seeing their OB/GYN provider on an annual basis is all that is needed for preventive healthcare. But what about your primary care doctor? According to Thu Truong, MD, a family medicine physician with Baptist Primary Care, the two separate appointments have varying objectives.

“Your primary care doctor will have a broader focus to gauge your overall health and wellness,” explains Dr. Truong. “Our goal is to get a baseline understanding of your health so we can make adjustments and compare from one year to the next. We also provide preventive care like vaccines and can make referrals to specialists when needed.”

Felicia Fox, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist with FABEN Obstetrics and Gynecology who works with Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, adds that other issues are typically addressed during a gynecological appointment.

“At the annual GYN visit, we manage our patients’ reproductive, contraceptive, and gynecologic problems,” she says. “Establishing a relationship with both a primary care physician and gynecologist is necessary as typically, we are focused on evaluating different areas for optimal overall health.”

Simply put: Both doctors deserve a top spot on your to-do list. Read on for a few reasons why.

Your annual primary care appointment

Some call it a yearly physical, and others say a wellness visit, but one thing is certain: Your annual adult primary care appointments should start as soon as you turn 18, following your previous well-child visits. This yearly visit can cover various topics and issues that may not be discussed at your routine GYN appointment. This can include:

• Lifestyle habits like weight, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and drug/alcohol use
• General safety issues that may include domestic relationships, sun protection, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) screenings
• Mental health screening and counseling (if needed)
• Blood work updates, including but not limited to blood count, cholesterol, thyroid, blood sugar, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function
• Vision and hearing evaluations
• Referral to specialists (if needed)

“In addition, your primary care provider makes sure you’re up to date on all recommended immunizations,” says Dr. Truong. “We’ll also recommend age- and risk-based preventive screenings like a breast exam, lung cancer screening, and colonoscopy. We keep track of all these things so you don’t have to.”

Although some primary care doctors are able to perform routine women’s health screenings, such as breast and pelvic exams and even Pap smears, it’s still necessary to attend any routine GYN visits due to their specialized focus on reproductive health and wellness.

Your annual gynecology appointment

Much like the annual primary care appointment, the GYN visit serves as a yearly screening and preventive health check-in to tackle any potential problems before they become an issue. During this visit, a gynecologist — a doctor with special training in the female reproductive system — will perform a routine breast exam and a pelvic exam, often alongside a Pap smear, which screens for cervical cancer.

“When seeing your gynecologist for your annual exam, we typically evaluate more specific female-anatomy-related concerns and try to help identify areas that might require further evaluation, work-up, or treatment,” Dr. Fox says. “Comprehensive gynecologic care is vast and, for most women, encompasses many of their issues when they see a physician. To give patients ample time to address all of the concerns identified during an annual exam, we schedule follow-up appointments with specific testing or treatment options discussed at that time.”

Along with the breast and pelvic exams, patients may have additional topics to discuss, such as:

• Fertility concerns
• Pelvic pain
• Contraceptive issues
• Hormonal problems
• Heavy bleeding, abnormal periods, or other menstrual concerns

“A plan of care to address these can be made at that appointment so all of those issues are thoroughly evaluated with the proper protocols and testing,” explains Dr. Fox.

And while routine cervical cancer screenings are recommended starting at age 21, an initial visit to the gynecologist can happen at an earlier age.

“I often see teenagers in my office to address a wide array of symptoms, including everything from irregular cycles to contraceptive care,” Dr. Fox says. “Often, this might not include a pelvic exam quite yet, but instead, it’s a discussion around development and overall health.”

She adds, “It’s important for all young women to establish a relationship with a gynecologist they trust, in a safe and non-threatening environment.”

Pregnant women should continue to receive their annual gynecological exams, in addition to their prenatal appointments, which focus on obstetrics concerns. These visits also monitor the health of both mom and baby and don’t necessarily include a routine pelvic exam.

The same goes for your primary care appointment when you’re expecting.

“It’s important for women to maintain that annual check-in to keep tabs on issues unrelated to the pregnancy,” says Dr. Truong. “This includes mental health, lifestyle habits, and preventive screenings.”

Your healthcare dream team

Essentially, your primary care physician and OB/GYN work as a team to ensure you remain in optimal health.

“We are so very fortunate to live in a city like Jacksonville where there are many physicians able to care for patients and all their individual and specific needs,” Dr. Fox says. “We as gynecologists work closely with primary care physicians to ensure that together, our mutual patients’ health concerns are met.”

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