Your provider first takes your vitals and asks about your overall health and family medical history before performing three exams.
Breast exam
Your provider first has you change into a paper robe. You then sit on the exam table and place your arm up behind your head. They use two fingers to create circular motions around your breasts, allowing them to detect any abnormalities or signs of breast cancer.
Your provider teaches you how to do this technique at home, which they encourage regularly.
Pelvic exam
For this exam, you lie comfortably on your back on the exam table and place your feet in stirrups at the end of the table. Your provider inserts a speculum, or lubricated small metal tool, into your vagina. You can expect this to be a little cold, but painless.
Your provider checks your vulva, vagina, uterus, and cervix for noticeable signs of cysts, STDs, or cancer.
Pap smear
During your pelvic exam, your provider uses a small, long swab to collect cells from your cervix. The team sends this to an outside lab that tests them for cancer.
Physicians encourage pap smears every 3-5 years.
Your provider may also recommend a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine if you haven’t yet received one.
