Tell your doctor everything. In a recent survey, a quarter of women admitted they're not completely honest with their gynecologist. If you're one of them, your doctor could miss a diagnosis, like fibroids or an underlying infection that needs to be treated, because you left something out.
Don't self-treat. A 2002 Medical College of Georgia study found that only one third of women who self-treat yeast infections diagnose their condition correctly, which means the rest of them are making their itchy situation worse by using the wrong treatment.
Use the bathroom after sex. If you're prone to urinary tract infections, this simple step can help prevent them.
Quit smoking. Women who smoke are about twice as likely to get cervical cancer as nonsmokers, according to the American Cancer Society.
See your gyno every year. Even if you don't need a Pap test it's still crucial to see your ob-gyn annually so she can check for abnormalities, like ovarian cysts or fibroids, and examine your breasts.
How to prepare for your annual visit
Know the best "itch test." If you've been experiencing recent suspicious itching, burning or vaginal discharge, ask for the BD Affirm quick swab test. It screens for the three most common vaginal infections--bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections and trichomonas--at once instead of requiring three separate samples, and the results are more accurate.
Choose the new and improved mammogram. Make sure your doctor refers you to a radiologist who uses digital mammography. These images are clearer than film, and they're 15 percent more likely to show breast cancer in women under age 50, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Get out of having annual Paps. Thanks to a new test, if you're 30 or older you might be able to skip a Pap exam for two years. The HPV-DNA test is used to screen for 13 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. If the results from this test and your Pap are normal, you can wait three years to have your next screening, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). You will still need to visit your gynecologist every year.
Consider the HPV vaccine. Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the HPV vaccine only for girls and women 9 to 26 years old, some experts say it could also benefit older women. "If you have HPV, this vaccine may help knock out the virus so it doesn't create any precancerous changes," says Mark DeFrancesco, MD, chief medical officer at Women's Health Connecticut and an ob-gyn in Waterbury, Conn. Keep in mind that the three shots cost $500 and they're not covered by insurance if you're over 26.
Ask for an ultrasound. You probably had one when you were pregnant, but now doctors use them to look for fibroids, endometrial polyps, and even signs of endometrial and ovarian cancer. Your doctor may perform one if you've been experiencing any abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain or bloating.
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