When it comes to their own medical care, women – especially women under forty – are shortchanging themselves. A doctor should not just be someone you call to get a prescription or to deliver a baby. A doctor should be an integral part of your life. This is the approach we take at Women's Health Institute of Macon. 

Every women over eighteen who values her health should have an annual physical exam performed by a competent primary-care physician. It will enable you to develop a relationship with your doctor. If your doctor is familiar with your family medical history, your lifestyle, and your overall health, they will be in a better position to detect small problems before they blossom into big ones. And, if you have a good rapport with your doctor, you will be more likely to pick up the phone and let her know if you’re experiencing any unusual symptoms. If more women felt comfortable with their doctors, there may be fewer women ignoring important symptoms such as chest pain, and there may be fewer cases of unreported heart attacks among women. Getting to know your doctor is well worth the investment. One day, it might save your life.

From before puberty to after menopause, a woman's body is constantly changing and developing. And, at each stage of development and maturation, there may be questions about gynecological, reproductive, and sexual health. Thus, it is important that a woman establishes a partnership with her Obstetrician / Gynecologist early on.

Dr. Emeka Umerah is a physician who specializes in women's overall gynecologic hcare, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the female reproductive system, and care of pregnant women. It is generally recommended that women who are either over 18 years of age, and/or are sexually active, or those who experience gynecological symptoms, have an annual gynecological exam. Many of the conditions that affect gynecological, reproductive, and sexual health may be detected early, which, in most cases, provides for a more positive prognosis and successful treatment.

What to expect from your doctor at WHI

Before you arrive for your appointment, the doctors will review your file so that they are familiar with your case. It’s reasonable to expect the doctors to know who you are, what problems you've had treated in the past, and what medication you are taking. We make it our business to get to know our patients so we can provide the best customized treatment possible.

What every woman needs to know and when she needs to know it

AGES TWO TO SEVENTEEN
Every girl should have an annual physical examination by her pediatrician that includes the following:

• Her growth patterns should be monitored.
• Her blood pressure should be measured.
• A CBC (complete blood count) should be performed.
• If a sibling, parent, or grandparent has a cholesterol level in the ninety-fifth percentile, the child should have a lipid profile.If her total cholesterol is less than 150 and her HDL is higher than 40, the test need not be repeated for five years.
• If she is sexually active, she should have a Pap test.

AGES EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY-NINE

• By age eighteen, every woman should have an annual physical with her PCP or Gynecologist.
• A Pap test and a complete pelvic exam should be done during her annual physical.
• By age twenty, every woman should have at the least a screening test to determine total blood cholesterol. If the level is more than 240 mg/dl, she should have a complete blood lipid profile to determine HDL-LDL breakdown and triglycerides.
• If a woman takes oral contraceptives, she should have a lipid profile done annually.

AGES THIRTY TO THIRTY-NINE

• As part of her annual physical, by age thirty every woman should have a complete blood lipid profile. If it is within normal range, it need not be repeated for five years. However, if she has any risk factors for CAD (family history, obesity, smoking, etc.) it should be redone every two years. If a woman takes oral contraceptives, the lipid profile should be done annually.
• An annual gynecologic exam that may include a pap.
• Between ages thirty-five and thirty-nine she should have a baseline mammogram. If the mammogram is normal, it can be redone every two years. If she has a family history of breast cancer, her physician may recommend it more often.

AGES FORTY TO FORTY-NINE

• As part of her complete physical, by age forty a woman should have an electrocardiogram (EKG) every year.
• Every two years, she should have a mammogram.
• A Pap test and a pelvic examination should be done each year.
• Every year she should have a blood lipid profile.

BY AGE FIFTY, THE FOLLOWING TESTS SHOULD BE PERFORMED ANNUALLY

• Mammogram
• Lipid profile
• EKG
• Annual Physical