Provided by Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
May is here and spring has sprung! It’s also Women’s Health Month, fitting a time where we celebrate moms.
We talk with Dr. William Hall, an obstetrician/gynecologist at the Women’s Health Center at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, who answers a couple of questions all women should know.
Women tend to put everyone before themselves. When it comes to their own health, what do you wish they would do differently?
“Women absolutely put the whole family before themselves, but gynecological health is vital and typically won’t require more than one to two appointments a year. The most important, like in all medicine, is staying up to date on preventative health: regular clinical breast exams and mammograms, screening pap
smears, routine blood work, etc.
“I’m a huge proponent of trying to stop problems before they start. 99.7% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV. Gardasil, a HPV vaccine, is now approved for women up to age 45.”
What concerns should be addressed when women go to the OB/GYN?
“In terms of what questions to ask: women should pay attention to their bodies and feel comfortable asking their gynecologist if something doesn’t feel right. OB/GYN appointments are the perfect opportunity to cover the basics: periods, sexual health, contraception, menopause symptoms, and a healthy lifestyle.
“Periods are a natural part of women’s lives, but there are plenty of options to keep them from being debilitating, heavy and painful, or annoyingly irregular. It’s estimated that almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned. Being prepared and optimizing your health prior to conception is the best way to set yourself up for a healthy pregnancy and avoiding complications. Pre-conception visits to your OB are a great idea.”
To learn more about the Women’s Health Services offered at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, visit sentara.com/womens.
