July 21, 2025

Why Is Well-Woman Care Important?

Well-woman care is essential for supporting the health and proper functioning of the female reproductive system. These annual health screenings matter to all women, regardless of sexual activity levels or whether you’re planning to become pregnant.

Keep reading to learn what wellness exams include and why they’re important. Low-cost well-woman care is available at Woman’s New Life Clinic in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. We also accept Medicaid and most insurances.

What Does a Women’s Wellness Exam Include?

A woman’s wellness exam screens for a number of conditions, including certain cancers. Here’s what you can expect when attending a well-woman appointment.

A healthcare provider may:

• Check your vital signs, such as your blood pressure
• Take your temperature, and measure your height and weight
• Review your health history and any recent symptoms like heavy or painful periods, abnormal vaginal discharge, or other issues
• Provide a clinical breast exam to check for any lumps or changes that could point to further testing for breast cancer
• Conduct a pelvic exam to make sure your anatomy is healthy
• Do a pap smear to screen for cervical cancer (typically performed every three to five years from age 21 to 65)
• Screen for certain sexually transmitted infections or diseases
• Talk to you about your lifestyle and offer suggestions to minimize health risks

The goal of well-woman care is to safeguard your sexual health and screen for concerning health conditions.

What if I Feel Fine?

Even if you feel fine and think it’s unlikely you could have cervical cancer or an STD, we still advise all patients to follow the recommended screening timelines to protect their long-term health.

Early-stage cervical cancer will often not show any signs or symptoms. By the time you start experiencing symptoms, the cancer could have spread.

The same type of situation applies to STDs. Many STDs, like gonorrhea or chlamydia, might not have noticeable symptoms until it has developed into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). 

Early detection is key for treating cancer and STDs, so we advise all patients to follow the recommended screening timelines to protect their long-term health. A well-woman visit is also a great opportunity to discuss other concerns, helping to ensure that any other issues are caught and treated.

You deserve to live a healthy life, and annual wellness exams play a huge role in this.

Call Woman’s New Life Clinic to Schedule an Appointment.

Woman’s New Life Clinic offers low-cost, cash-pay women’s healthcare, including well-woman care. We also accept Medicaid and most insurances. Call our New Orleans or Baton Rouge clinic locations to schedule your appointment today.

Additionally, we offer urgent gynecologic care for any abnormal symptoms you’re experiencing, so do not hesitate to call us if you have an issue you’d like to address. 

All health information is accurate at the time of writing.