You schedule the car for its oil change. You take the dog to the vet. You make sure the kids are current on their vaccines before school starts. And your own annual well-woman exam? It is sitting somewhere on a mental list you have been meaning to get to for the better part of a year, maybe longer.
You are not alone.
of women reported skipping or delaying medical care in the past year, and women are 35% more likely to skip care than men. A separate 2025 survey found that 42% of women had forgone preventive care services, including annual check-ups, in the past year.
The reasons are familiar: cost, long wait times, transportation, and the weight of keeping everyone else's health on track while quietly letting their own slide. Fall is the natural reset. This is exactly the right moment to check in.
What a Well-Woman Exam Actually Is
A well-woman exam is a preventive care visit, meaning its purpose is not to treat a problem but to find one before it becomes one. It is also an opportunity to establish a relationship with a provider who knows your baseline, your history, and your goals, so that when something does come up, you are not starting from scratch.
What Should Be on Your Checklist
- Blood pressure review. For women managing hypertension or at risk for it, this is one of the most important numbers in your chart. Compare your home readings with what is taken in the office.
- Medication discussion. Bring your full medication list, including over-the-counter drugs, supplements, and anything new since your last visit. Ask: is everything still doing what it is supposed to do?
- Bloodwork, including metabolic panel, lipid panel, blood sugar, and thyroid function if indicated.
- Breast exam and mammogram referral if applicable. Women ages 40 to 44 may choose to start annual mammograms. Women 45 to 54 should get them annually. Women 55 and older can switch to every two years or continue annually.
- Cervical cancer screening on the current schedule. As of December 2025, the American Cancer Society recommends primary HPV testing every five years beginning at age 25 through age 65. Women ages 21 to 29 should still receive a Pap test every three years. Women ages 30 to 65 now have the option to self-collect their HPV sample.
- A real conversation about mental health, sleep, and stress. Do not answer fine out of habit. Push past it.
What to Bring and What to Say
Go in prepared. Write down your questions before you arrive, because they will disappear the moment you sit on that exam table in a paper gown.
Is my blood pressure where it should be, and is my current medication the right one at the right dose? Are there any screenings I am overdue for based on my age and family history?
If you manage a chronic condition, bring your home blood pressure log if you keep one. If you are on a GLP-1 medication and have lost weight since your last visit, say so explicitly. Your provider needs that information to make good decisions about your other prescriptions.
Write your questions down before you go. They will disappear the moment you sit on the exam table.
On Finding a Provider
One of the most common reasons women delay their annual exam is not laziness. It is access. A provider who takes their insurance, has availability, and whom they feel safe being honest with is harder to find than it should be.
If You Do Not Have a Provider
A Federally Qualified Health Center offers comprehensive care on a sliding fee scale regardless of insurance status. The Health Resources and Services Administration maintains a locator at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
If you have a provider but have been avoiding the appointment, consider asking someone to hold you accountable. Schedule it before you leave this article. Put it in your phone. Tell someone else you did it.
You have made it through a hard summer. The heat. The news. The bills. The juggling. You kept a lot of things running that would have stopped without you. Now do the one thing that keeps you running. Make the appointment. Go. Find out where you actually stand. You deserve to know.
Sources
Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention and Ipsos. (2025). New Ipsos survey highlights critical gaps in preventive care for women. womenshealthandprevention.org
American Cancer Society. (2025, December 4). American Cancer Society updates cervical cancer screening guideline. pressroom.cancer.org
American Cancer Society. (2026). Cancer screening guidelines. cancer.org/cancer/screening
Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. (2024). 50% of US women skip or delay medical care due to cost, access, or negative experiences. prnewswire.com
Health Resources and Services Administration. (2026). New cervical cancer screening guidelines. hrsa.gov
Health Resources and Services Administration. Find a health center. findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov