Women's Health in Houston: What to Check and How Often
Most gynecological problems are caught by two inexpensive things: a Pap smear on schedule, and a culture when there are symptoms. At Clínica Hispana Airline we do both, walk-in, in Spanish or English, at 934 E Tidwell Rd.
How often is a Pap smear due?
ACOG and the USPSTF agree on the broad lines:
- Ages 21 to 29: cytology every 3 years.
- Ages 30 to 65: cytology every 3 years, or HPV testing every 5, or both together every 5.
- After 65: screening can stop if previous results were normal and there are no risk factors.
Your own schedule may differ if you have had an abnormal result, if your immune system is compromised, or if there is a family history. That gets decided with your record in front of us.
What matters: cervical cancer takes years to develop and starts with changes a Pap detects before there are any symptoms. Which is why frequency matters more than urgency.
When is a culture needed?
When there are symptoms: discharge with a different smell or color, itching, burning when you urinate, discomfort during sex. The culture tells you what is causing it, and that is what determines the treatment.
It is the difference between treating and guessing. A yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis feel similar and are treated differently; the wrong treatment not only fails to cure, it sometimes makes things worse.
See gynecology care: Pap smear and cultures.
What is a pelvic ultrasound for?
To look at the uterus and ovaries when there is pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, suspected cysts or fibroids, or to confirm and date a pregnancy.
It does not hurt and needs no special preparation beyond arriving with a full bladder in some cases, which we tell you in advance. See ultrasound and sonogram.
Contraception
Guidance on methods, pills and the injection, according to what fits your situation. We also perform subdermal implant removal, which many clinics place and few will take out.
What should not wait
- Heavy bleeding outside your period
- Pelvic pain that keeps increasing
- Fever with foul-smelling discharge
- A new lump in the breast
Those get looked at soon, not at the next annual checkup.
Where and when
934 E Tidwell Rd, Houston, TX 77022, north side of the city. Seven days a week, 9 AM to 9 PM, walk-in, no insurance, with the visit available in Spanish.
Ask the price before your exam. We will tell you straight, and we accept cash and cards.
Need medical attention?
We're here to help. Call now to schedule your appointment or visit our clinic without an appointment.
Call now: +1 (346) 204-4668
