Supporting Healthy Pregnancies
Q&A With Dr. Wenberg
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Enloe Health Obstetrics & Gynecology made a change Nov. 15 to help pregnant patients get the care they need. Learn more from Medical Director Alicia Wenberg, M.D., whose valuable experience spans a decade at Enloe.
Q: Thank you for your time, Dr. Wenberg. We’re talking about the changes taking place at Enloe Health Obstetrics & Gynecology. What’s happening?
A: Starting Nov. 15, we will no longer offer the well-woman exam unless you are in one of our offices for your Pap smear. If you are due for your Pap smear, we’re happy to see you and do a well-woman exam while you’re here. But if your Pap smear is not due, then we ask that you go to your primary care doctor for your well-woman exam.
“If you have no history of abnormal Pap smears, a Pap smear should be done every three to five years. In the past, the Pap smear was part of the annual well-woman exam, but this is no longer the case.”
Q: What is the difference between a well-woman exam and a Pap smear?
A: Your well-woman exam is a physical exam with a focus on gynecology. It means you have no specific concerns, we’re not prescribing any medications for you and all you need is your annual checkup. It’s recommended once every year and includes a head-to-toe evaluation, a breast exam, and a pelvic exam.
Your Pap smear is separate. It’s when we collect cells off your cervix to screen for cervical cancer. If you have no history of abnormal Pap smears, a Pap smear should be done every three to five years. In the past, the Pap smear was part of the annual well-woman exam, but this is no longer the case.
Q: So you’ll continue seeing patients when they’re due for their Pap smears. Is that correct?
A: Yes, that is correct.
Q: What is the purpose of these changes?
A: It’s due to a lack of providers. At this point, we are getting to a place where we couldn’t see people for their pregnancies or weren’t able to get them in as soon as we would like. We had to look at the services we were providing and the resources we had and say, “What is something primary care could do, so that we can provide care to pregnant patients?”
Q: Why is so it important for pregnant patients to be able to get appointments?
A: Getting early and regular prenatal care can change pregnancy outcomes. There are certain things that need to happen at certain times in pregnancy.
“(Patients) can come to us if they have concerning symptoms, if they have a history of abnormal Pap smears, or if they’re on hormone replacement therapy or want to ask about it.”
Q: If someone has a gynecology concern, can they still schedule an appointment at Enloe Health Obstetrics & Gynecology?
A: Absolutely. They can come to us if they have concerning symptoms, if they have a history of abnormal Pap smears, or if they’re on hormone replacement therapy or want to ask about it.
Q: What are some examples of concerning symptoms?
A: Concerning symptoms are any type of abnormal bleeding, like if someone is bleeding more often than 21 days or if their period is lasting for more than eight days, pelvic pain that isn’t relieved by Tylenol or Ibuprofen, troubling menopausal symptoms, a breast mass or breast discharge, or a vaginal infection or UTI. These would all be reasons to make an appointment with us.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: We’re working hard to increase the number of providers we have, so we don’t have to send women to their primary care providers for their well-woman exams. As soon as we have enough providers in our clinics to do these exams, we would love to provide this service again. Our goal is to provide the best care to all people we take care of.
