Caring From birth control to motherhood, our staff brings many years of professional and personal experience to women’s health care.
We're here to answer your questions and concerns, just send us an email.
First, you should refrain from intercourse or using any vaginal products for at least 24 hours before your visit. Second, bring a list of all the medications and supplements you take, with dosages and frequency‹it will save you time and be more accurate than trying to recall everything from memory. If you are new to Salem Women’s Clinic, plan on arriving a bit early to fill out paperwork. You can also visit the Patient Info section of our site to download and complete some of the necessary paperwork before your visit
Lastly, relax and pat yourself on the back: the annual exam is an important part of your health care, and we do everything we can to make it a positive experience.
We can’t really know what¹s wrong over the phone, so call as early as you can, and ask for a same day visit. We’ll exam you, run some tests, and tell you what you can do to prevent the same thing from happening again.
Sure! Just mention your preference when you call for the appointment.
Your normal results will arrive by mail unless you¹ve signed up for our Portal, which allows you to access lab results over the Internet using a secure pin number and password. For complicated results, or results that require follow-up care, you may get a call asking you to come in for a visit so we can talk in person.
A pap is a test that is specific for cervical cancer (the cervix is the lowest portion of the uterus, found at the top of the vagina). Using a warmed metal speculum to see the cervix, we take a sample of the cells using a soft brush or tiny broom. The sample is sent to a lab which uses human and computerized technology to look for abnormal (pre-cancerous) cells, as well as check for HPV. HPV stands for human papilloma virus, which can live on the cervix and cause cancerous changes over time.
Depending on your age and history, you may need a pap smear every year or every several years. But you’ll always need your annual each year‹there¹s more to your health than just your cervix.
