Preventive Care Q&A
What is preventive care?
Preventive care includes vaccinations and screening tests that help prevent diseases before they become a major medical problems. The team at Dayton Family Medical Clinic provides preventive care for children and adults, as well as women’s health services such as Pap tests and mammograms.
What preventive care services do I need?
Preventive care varies based on your age, biological sex, and risk factors for certain diseases. Everyone can benefit from preventive care, but children and women require additional screening tests.
Preventive care for children
Depending on your child’s age, preventive care may include:
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Behavioral assessments throughout childhood and adolescence
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Autism screening in toddlers
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Developmental screening for toddlers
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Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use screening in adolescents
Newborns also receive numerous vaccinations, blood tests, and screenings for common illnesses and inherited conditions.
Preventive care for women
The team at Dayton Family Medical Clinic provides specialized preventive care for women’s health, including:
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Well-woman exams
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Pap tests
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Mammograms
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Bone density screening
Preventive care for men
All adults receive age-specific preventive care, such as blood pressure testing and diabetes screening. Men may also receive screenings to reduce their risk of male-specific diseases, such as prostate cancer.
What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is a type of X-ray that screens for breast cancer. Mammograms can detect tumors and abnormalities in your breast tissue that are too small to feel with a standard breast exam. The team at Dayton Family Medical Clinic may also use a mammogram for diagnostic purposes if they feel a lump during your manual breast exam.
During a mammogram, you stand in front of the X-ray machine with your breast on a platform. A plastic plate presses your breast tissue against the platform. This may cause discomfort, but it’s necessary for the X-rays to penetrate your breast.
What is a Pap test?
Pap tests screen for abnormal changes to your cells that may turn into cervical cancer. Women ages 21-65 may get a Pap test during their pelvic exam.
This test involves inserting a speculum into your vagina and swabbing your cervix (the opening to your uterus) to collect a cell sample. Then, your Dayton Family Medical Clinic provider sends the sample to a lab for testing.
To learn more about the type of preventive care everyone in your family needs, call Dayton Family Medical Clinic or book an appointment online today.
