Well-woman exams and preventive screening
An annual well-woman exam is the one visit each year built entirely around you rather than a single complaint. It covers blood pressure, weight and BMI, a review of your medications and family history, a Pap smear if you're due (see our guide to abnormal Pap results), a clinical breast exam, and an honest conversation about anything you've been putting off asking.
Most of the screening happens through our on-site labs at both Fresno locations — cholesterol and lipid panels, A1c and fasting glucose, thyroid function, iron and anemia panels, and STI screening when it's appropriate. Drawing blood in the same visit means you're not booking a second trip somewhere else, and results usually come back within a day or two with a call from your provider explaining what they actually mean.
If your exam turns up something that needs imaging or ongoing management — persistent chest symptoms, a suspicious lump requiring mammography referral, or a chronic condition like hypertension or prediabetes — we coordinate the referral and pick up the follow-up through our primary care service so nothing gets dropped between offices.
When to come in sooner than your annual
- A new breast lump, skin dimpling, or nipple discharge — this should be evaluated within days, not at your next scheduled exam
- Bleeding after menopause, or between periods, at any volume
- An overdue Pap after an abnormal result — repeat screening shouldn't be delayed past the interval your provider recommended
- New pelvic pressure, bloating, or changes in bowel or bladder habits that have lasted more than two weeks
Go to the emergency room for heavy vaginal bleeding that soaks through a pad an hour, fainting, or severe abdominal pain with fever.
