Annual Exams & Paps

Annual exams are yearly check-ups recommended to maintain and optimize your health, keep up to date on important health screenings, and address any questions that have come up in the last year. Nothing needs to be “wrong” to schedule an annual exam. This preventative visit is focused around your individual needs and includes a full set of vitals, a head to toe physical exam, and recommendations for health screening such as labs (often thyroid, iron, anemia, and diabetes screening) or imaging (mammogram, ultrasound) based on your age and risk factors. Many labs can be drawn at Desert Rain and you will be given a referral for any screening that cannot be completed in office. A follow up problem visit may be scheduled to address any specific health concerns that are beyond the scope of this preventative visit. 

 

A Pap may or may not be a part of your annual exam, based on your health history and, most importantly, whether or not you would like one done. A Pap screens for cervical cancer and/or human papilloma virus (HPV) and involves a pelvic exam. Paps are usually done every 3-5 years depending on your age and health history, though there are circumstances in which they need to be done annually. Many clients have shared with us that our midwife pelvic exams are much more comfortable and respectfully done than Paps completed elsewhere. If you are nervous about pelvic exams, speak with your midwife! Together, the two of you can come up with a plan that works for you.