Shape Magazine
Before You Go to the Ob-Gyn...
Before you go
• Record your medical history.
"For an annual exam, take a few minutes to review your 'health story' from the past year," advises Michele Curtis, M.D., M.P.H., a gynecologist in Houston. "Write down anything that's changed, both major things like surgeries and minor things like new vitamins [or herbs] you're taking." Also note any health issues that have come up among your parents, grandparents and siblings, he suggests -- your doctor may recommend steps to help prevent the same problems.
• Get your records.
If you've had gynecologic surgery or a mammogram, request a copy of the procedure records from your surgeon or specialist to bring along (and keep a copy for yourself as well).
• List your concerns.
Write down your top three concerns in order of priority. "Research has shown that the third item patients bring up during a visit is usually what brought them in," Curtis says. "People get embarrassed and want to 'warm us up' first, but time's short, so you should always ask the most important question first."
• Record your medical history.
"For an annual exam, take a few minutes to review your 'health story' from the past year," advises Michele Curtis, M.D., M.P.H., a gynecologist in Houston. "Write down anything that's changed, both major things like surgeries and minor things like new vitamins [or herbs] you're taking." Also note any health issues that have come up among your parents, grandparents and siblings, he suggests -- your doctor may recommend steps to help prevent the same problems.
• Get your records.
If you've had gynecologic surgery or a mammogram, request a copy of the procedure records from your surgeon or specialist to bring along (and keep a copy for yourself as well).
• List your concerns.
Write down your top three concerns in order of priority. "Research has shown that the third item patients bring up during a visit is usually what brought them in," Curtis says. "People get embarrassed and want to 'warm us up' first, but time's short, so you should always ask the most important question first."
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