Today, our experts shared their thoughts on the importance of protecting mom's health.  Now, Dr. Jason Rothbart takes it one step further and answers this question about how often woman should see their doctor and why:

Q: My friend sees her OB/Gyn every 6 months for a pap smear, is that necessary? I'm considering changing birth control, do I need to go in for that? What about Breast Exams? How often to I need to have one? 

In today's age of technology and medical advancements, the best thing women can still do for themselves is prevention. Prevention for women's health involves regular check ups and scheduled screening tests. For most women of any age, it is important to see your doctor once a year. Some women have certain conditions, or certain diagnoses that require them to go at more frequent intervals, sometimes once every 3-6 months. For example, some physicians are over cautious and will recommend a pap smear twice a year, but usually this is unneccesary.

The exception is if there was an abnormal result, with the appropriate follow up being another pap smear, but in 6 months instead of one year. On the other hand, depending on age and a patient's history, there are current recommendations in place for some women to have a pap smear only every 2-3 years.  This, as always, is individualized and should be discussed with her doctor. 

Likewise, breast health and prevention are equally important. Every woman should know how to perform a self breast exam, and at the very least, should have a general sense of her anatomy, so she will able to know if something new has emerged. The current general recommended age to start mammography screening is age 40. Again, this must be individualized as some patients with a strong family history should actually start mammography and breast ultrasound at a much earlier age.

Lastly, the field of women's health and contraception options is constantly changing. Having regular check ups and visits allows women to always know what is new and available to them, giving them options and the choice for contraception that fits their lifestyle.

Though it is an old adage, it remains true: The best treatment is prevention. Regularly scheduled visits with your physician can be life saving as well as simply improving quality of life on a day to day basis.