OUR SERVICES
Well Person Care/Annual Exams
Gynecological Care
Gynecological care at Equality Health Center is provided by physicians and advanced practice clinicians (Certified Nurse Midwives, Advance Registered Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants). Our doctors and practitioners have decades of experience in the field of reproductive health care and are sensitive to the varied and unique health needs of those young and first time GYN clients, pre-menopause and menopausal, LGBTQIA+, those with disabilities, and others with specific needs or concerns.
Our gynecological health services include:
- Gynecological Exams
- Pap testing
- Breast exams
- Pregnancy testing and ultrasound
- Additional tests for anemia, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), cholesterol screening, etc. are done as requested or required.
Gynecological Exams
A routine gynecological exam (also known as the “annual exam”) generally consists of a pelvic examination, a pap test and breast exam (and self breast exam instruction) Additional tests for anemia, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), cholesterol screening, etc. are done as requested or required.
Breast Exams
A Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) helps you and your health care provider keep an eye on your breast health. During an appointment for a Clinical Breast Exam, your nurse practitioner will discuss your breast health, check out any changes, and perform a manual and visual exam of your breasts. Breast Self-Exam (BSE) and mammograms will also be discussed during your visit.
Pap Testing
The Pap test is a test for cancer of the cervix. It’s a simple painless test that involves taking a sample of cells from the cervix (the lower end of the uterus) and checking if the cells show any signs of cancer – or of a precancerous condition called dysplasia. As with other medical tests, a “negative” result is good – it means nothing abnormal was found.
If you have ever been sexually active, you’re at risk for acquiring HPV (human papilloma virus), the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer. The good news is that even if you acquire one of the strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and you are young (under age 30), healthy, and don’t smoke, your immune system is likely to fight off the virus on its own ( while smoking doesn’t transmit the HPV, it can decrease the body’s immune response, increasing to the risk of developing cervical cancer).
There are vaccinations available which offer protection against most strands of the HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital wart infections. The CDC is recommending that all people 11 to 26 receive this vaccine. Insurance covers the cost of this vaccination up to age 26. While EHC does not provide HPV vaccinations, staff can provide resources to patients who want to get the vaccine.
Regardless of immunization status, routine pap testing is still critical for the detection and early intervention, management and treatment of HPV infections.
Pregnancy Testing & Ultrasound
The pregnancy tests that you can buy at any pharmacy are quite accurate and sensitive, generally able to detect pregnancy hormone in the urine before you miss your period.
Equality Health Center also offers early, highly sensitive urine pregnancy tests, free of charge, with results available immediately. If the test is positive we offer free pregnancy options counseling, information and referrals as needed.
If you are pregnant and unsure of the date when your last period began, there are two ways to find out how far along you are. One is to have a pelvic (internal) exam. A clinician can usually assess the length of a pregnancy within about 2 weeks by manually feeling the uterus, however, various factors such as a very retroverted (“tipped” or “tilted”) uterus can make difficult to accurately date the pregnancy. A second method of dating a pregnancy is by using ultrasound, which is generally quite accurate if done at five weeks or later in the pregnancy.
