As a woman, you know that you are interesting, complicated, and multifaceted. Your friends and family may know that too, but more importantly, your doctor should know that as well. At Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA, we take women’s health seriously and want to treat you comprehensively. We want to help treat you currently, preventatively, and plan for your future health so that you can thrive and live the healthiest life possible regardless of your life stage.
What Are the Most Important Aspects of Women’s Health?
Your Past Health
Your past health affects both your current and future health. Some individuals are predisposed to certain illnesses and conditions based on their lifestyle and genetics, an important aspect that must be considered.
Your past health and conditions you’ve experienced, illnesses you’ve dealt with, and how your body has responded to medications an important part of your health as a woman. Understanding your past is vital to everything in healthcare. It’s the reason why your medical history is one of the main qualifiers whenever you do anything, even undergo cosmetic treatment.
Understanding Your Medical History
When we treat you at the Women’s Center at Southside Medical Center, we will take your medical history into account, but we won’t let it define your future. We’ll help you make the right health choices and lifestyle changes so that you can live your healthiest life.
Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes, along with the right supplements and medications, can go a long way in redefining your past and helping you live a healthy life that isn’t completely defined by your medical history.
Your Current Health
Getting sick can ruin your plans, especially when you come down with something more aggressive than the common cold. Your current health is an important part of women’s health because it affects you now. Whether you need to address a current infection, have a concern, or just need a routine exam or test, it’s important that you have somewhere you can go and providers who you trust.
STD and Pregnancy Testing
At the Women’s Center at Southside Medical Center, we offer routine exams so that when you’re ill or have an infection, you can get the help, attention, and care when you need it. We also offer STD and pregnancy testing and breast checks, so you have somewhere to turn when you need answers.
Whether you need an answer about an STD test, or you’re not sure if you can believe the results of your at-home pregnancy test, we can give you the answers you’re looking for quickly and confidentially so that you can put your mind at ease either way.
Your Reproductive Health
One of the most important aspects of women’s health is reproductive health. Each month, your body goes through a complete hormone cycle, so when something is off or is unbalanced, it affects your entire life, whether you realize it or not. A Well-Woman Exam is an appointment that includes a PAP Smear, breast exam, and pelvic exam. This appointment is also the time for you to discuss any concerns you may have so that we can answer your questions.
Well-Woman Exams
Regular Pap smears are an important part of your reproductive health because they help ensure that you are healthy. These exams test for abnormal cells by taking a cell sample from the cervix to confirm that it is healthy or help play a part in early detection for cervical cancer.
Pelvic exams are another important aspect of women’s health because they allow us to check for any irregularities, check that your ovaries are in an optimal position, and check if any cysts are present. These exams also include a breast exam, which helps check that your breast tissue is normal and healthy.
PMS Care
Your menstrual cycle is an integral part of your reproductive health, but it also gives you some important clues about your reproductive health. If you have any issues with your menstrual cycle, you should seek outside help to discuss those issues and have them checked.
Imbalanced hormones and other factors can affect your menstrual cycle, which also can affect your fertility. If you are trying to get pregnant, issues with your menstrual cycle can interfere with that process, so it’s best to seek out an expert who can give you the answers you’re looking for.
Family Planning
Once you decide to go forward and start a family, you must ensure your body is healthy and ready to carry a baby. We can help you walk through this journey with you at our Women’s Center by discussing any necessary steps you should take before trying to conceive.
Pre-conception care is an important part of your health because we can make suggestions on how you can get your body in the best shape so when you’re ready to carry a baby, you can do it well. Additionally, if you’re not ready to have a baby, we can help you make the right choice regarding pregnancy prevention until you’re ready to move forward with starting a family.
Your Prenatal Care
Once you get pregnant, you’re caring for more than just your body. You have another body to think about, that being the new life inside of you, and this is the time when you really need someone you can trust who can care for you and your baby for the nine months of pregnancy and beyond.
Well-Visits
Caring for your body during this time is important, but so too are regular check-ups throughout the length of your pregnancy to ensure that you and your baby are as healthy as possible. We’ll talk about any issues you’re having during these appointments, answer any questions, and monitor your baby’s development. It’s important to have a provider you can trust before pregnancy, but for some, it’s even more important to have one during pregnancy.
First pregnancies can be scary and cause you to worry about every little thing. We will be here to answer every question you have, even the ones that you think seem obvious.
Post-Birth Care
Your body goes through many changes during pregnancy, but no one prepares you for what happens after giving birth. We will be there for you not only during prenatal care but we will also be able to walk with you in the days following your birth to ensure that your body is getting back to normal, healing from childbirth and that everything is functioning as it should.
This is an important time for you as a woman, and it’s even more important that you have someone to turn to during this time to get answers to your questions and concerns.
Your Menopause Care
Menopause is normal, but when it begins, you need somewhere to turn to help you walk through it with ease. Menopause is a physical transition, but it’s also an emotional one. It signifies the end of your reproductive years and the start of a new and very different season of health. Just because your reproductive years are over doesn’t mean that your health as a woman is no longer a priority.
It is just as important as you walk through menopause as it is pre-pregnancy. Whether your menopause symptoms are all-defining or minor, we can help you walk through menopause and help you feel your best regardless of the changes in your body. We can make suggestions and offer ways to help you is through this transitional phase so that you can live a vibrant life post-menopause and beyond.
Your Future Health
Another important part of women’s health is your future health. You must take care of yourself today so that you can be as healthy as possible tomorrow. For instance, taking care of your body before getting pregnant can help you ensure that your body is prepared for a healthy pregnancy.
In the same way, your choices today impact your health tomorrow, so you mustn’t live just in the moment, but consider your future health and make every effort to eat, exercise, and live in a way that promotes optimal health day in and day out.
Investing in Your Future
At the Women’s Center at Southside Medical Clinic, our goal is to help you stay as healthy as possible today and invest in your future health. We will give you the tools and tips that you need to stay healthy. Scheduling regular Well-Woman exams is one of the best ways to invest in your health and keep yourself aware of what’s going on in your body, what needs to be addressed, and what changes you need to make if any.
Just like your car needs preventative maintenance appointments, so too does your body, which is far more important than a vehicle. These appointments help ensure that everything is running smoothly to detect issues early and get one step ahead of them before turning into more significant health conditions.
When Should I Schedule Appointments?
We typically recommend that women begin scheduling regular Well-Woman exams at the age of 21 or once they become sexually active. Additionally, if you have already scheduled a Well-Woman exam but notice a change in your health or have a concern, it’s important that you schedule an appointment to discuss those concerns and have any issues evaluated by one of our board-certified practitioners.
What if I Need To Undergo a Procedure?
If at any point, we recommend that you undergo a procedure to ensure your ultimate health, you will be able to choose where you want to have that procedure performed. All of our practitioners are board-certified and are also staff members at major metropolitan hospitals. You can choose where you want to go for your procedure and who you want to work with so that you feel safe, comfortable, and cared for.
Am I a Candidate?
If you are a woman over the age of 21 or are sexually active, you are a candidate for Well-Woman exams. Women’s health is an important part of your life, so it’s even more important that you invest in yourself by taking the time to attend regular exams to ensure that you are healthy regardless of your life stage.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you are looking for a group of practitioners who you can trust to care for every aspect of your health as a woman, we can help. Contact us today at the Women’s Center at Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA, to set up your initial consultation with one of our experts to learn more about how we can help keep you healthy and balanced in every area of your life.