A great deal of women's health care happens in primary care rather than in a specialist office: the yearly visit, cervical and breast cancer screening, contraception, menopause symptoms, thyroid and iron problems, bone health, and the cardiovascular risk that is still the leading cause of death in women and still under-recognized.
Elon Health Primary Care in Davenport, FL provides that care for adult women as part of a continuing relationship, with lab work done in our own building and gynecology referrals arranged when something needs a specialist.
A yearly visit is where prevention actually gets organized. It covers blood pressure, weight and BMI, an update of your personal and family history, a review of your medications and contraception, a check on mood and sleep, and a decision about which screenings are due this year and which can wait. Our page on well adult care covers the general structure, and what to expect at an annual physical walks through the visit itself.
Under the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation (2018, Grade A), screening is recommended from age 21 to 65. From 21 to 29 that means cervical cytology every three years. From 30 to 65 there are three acceptable options: cytology alone every three years, high-risk HPV testing alone every five years, or HPV testing combined with cytology every five years. Screening is not recommended before 21, and it can usually stop after 65 if you have had adequate prior screening and are not at high risk. HPV self-collection has become available in some settings, so ask what applies to you.
The USPSTF updated its breast cancer recommendation in 2024 (Grade B) to biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74, lowered from the previous starting age of 50. Whether you should start earlier or screen more often depends on family history, genetic risk, and breast density, which is a conversation worth having rather than a default. We arrange the mammogram and make sure the result comes back into your chart.
Screening is recommended from age 45 under the USPSTF 2021 recommendation, by colonoscopy or by a stool-based test, depending on your preference and risk. See health screenings for the full picture.
Contraception is straightforward primary care: reviewing what you are using, whether it still suits you, and whether it is safe alongside your other conditions and medications. That last point matters more than people realize, because some combinations raise blood pressure or clotting risk, and blood pressure should be checked before and during use of combined hormonal contraception.
If you are planning a pregnancy, a pre-conception visit is one of the highest-value appointments in primary care: reviewing medications that are unsafe in pregnancy, checking thyroid function, confirming immunity to rubella and varicella, starting folic acid, and getting blood pressure and blood sugar under control before rather than after conception.
Perimenopause commonly begins years before periods stop, and its symptoms are often attributed to stress or ageing instead: irregular cycles, hot flushes, disrupted sleep, mood changes, brain fog, joint aches, and vaginal dryness. These are treatable, and dismissing them is not good medicine.
Options range from lifestyle and non-hormonal treatments to hormone therapy, and which is appropriate depends on your symptoms, how long since your last period, and your personal risk profile including clotting, breast cancer, and cardiovascular history. Menopause also changes cardiovascular and bone risk, which is why it is a good moment to reassess both.
Bone loss accelerates after menopause and is silent until a fracture. Bone density screening is recommended for women 65 and older, and earlier for postmenopausal women with additional risk factors such as low body weight, smoking, a parental hip fracture, or long-term steroid use. Alongside screening we review calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing activity, and fall risk.
Several things we manage day to day are more common in women, or present differently, and are missed more often as a result.
The adult schedule includes HPV vaccination for younger adults, Tdap in every pregnancy, and the routine adult vaccines. See immunizations and the adult vaccine schedule for what applies at your age.
If you are having a medical emergency such as chest pain, sudden trouble breathing, weakness or drooping on one side, trouble speaking, or a sudden severe headache, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for an appointment.
To establish care or schedule a well-woman visit with Dr. Sandeep Pandya in Davenport, FL, request an appointment or call 352-508-5254. We see patients by appointment Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and we are accepting new patients from Davenport, Champions Gate, Haines City, Kissimmee, and across Polk County.
The thresholds, intervals, and recommendations on this page come from the following national guidance, current as of August 2026. Guidelines change; the ones named here are the versions we are working from, and we review these pages when they are updated. This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you specifically.
Reviewed by Dr. Sandeep Pandya, board-trained family medicine physician and Medical Director, Elon Health Primary Care.
Frequently Asked Questions
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its recommendation in 2024 to biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74, lowered from a previous starting age of 50. If you have a family history of breast cancer, known genetic risk, or dense breast tissue, starting earlier or screening more often may be appropriate, which is worth discussing at a visit.
Under the USPSTF 2018 recommendation, women aged 21 to 29 are screened with cervical cytology every three years. From 30 to 65 there are three acceptable options: cytology every three years, high-risk HPV testing every five years, or HPV testing plus cytology every five years. Screening usually stops after 65 with adequate prior screening and no high-risk history.
A large share of women's health care is routine primary care: the yearly visit, cervical and breast screening, contraception, menopause symptoms, thyroid and iron problems, bone health, and cardiovascular risk. A gynecology referral is appropriate for abnormal bleeding needing investigation, pelvic pain, fertility care, pregnancy care, and procedures, and we arrange those and keep the results in your chart.
Yes, and they should not be dismissed. Irregular cycles, hot flushes, disrupted sleep, mood changes, and vaginal dryness all respond to treatment, which ranges from lifestyle and non-hormonal options through to hormone therapy. Which is appropriate depends on your symptoms, how long since your last period, and your personal risk profile, so it is a conversation rather than a single answer.
Because it is the leading cause of death in women and is still under-recognized, both by patients and in clinical settings. Symptoms in women are more often fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, or jaw and back discomfort than classic crushing chest pain. Cardiovascular risk also changes after menopause, which makes that a natural point to reassess blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
What We Do
Elon Health Primary Care offers comprehensive medical services for adults and seniors, from annual physicals and preventive screenings to chronic disease management, in-house lab work, and specialist referrals. We serve patients throughout Davenport, FL and accept most major insurance plans.
Part of Our Primary Care Services at Elon Health Primary Care in Davenport, FL. Browse all primary care services on the services hub.
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Ready to establish care or have a question? Reach out via the form, call, or email, and our team will help you schedule your first visit.