Women's Health

Women Can Expect More Questions From Gynecologists

continued...

ACOG has recommended HIV testing for all pregnant women and now expands that recommendation to cover all women seeking preconception care, says Yelverton. In addition, any woman with invasive cervical cancer should now be offered testing for HIV.

ACOG already recommended routine chlamydia testing for all sexually active adolescents and others at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases, says Yelverton. Now it is expanding that recommendation to include gonorrhea testing. In addition, hepatitis C testing should be offered as part of routine testing for high-risk groups starting at age 13.

The new recommendations state that all women should have a fasting glucose every three years after age 45. Ob/gyns are encouraged to begin asking patients about urinary and fecal incontinence beginning at age 19 rather than at age 40, as in the past.

Finally, ACOG is now asking ob/gyns to include questions about the use of complementary and alternative medicines as part of routine histories, says Yelverton.

Vital Information:

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued new guidelines as part of an effort to improve the primary care skills of ob/gyns.
• The new guidelines call for testing for diabetes, hepatitis C, HIV, and gonorrhea for various subsets of patients.
• It is important to screen women for hepatitis C because the infection can go undetected for years and may be passed from mother to child.