Mayo Clinic Health System
  • Patient Online Services
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Adams
      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Janesville
      • Kenyon
      • Lake City
      • Le Sueur
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • New Richland
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      Iowa

      • Decorah
      • Lake Mills

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals
    • COVID-19
    • Request an Appointment
    • Patient Online Services
    • Pay Bills Online
    • Refer a Patient

    Recent Posts

    • Hand controller and video game on screen
      Speaking of Health
      Are video games, screens another addiction?
      July 01, 2022
    • Sleeping baby wearing pink cap
      Speaking of Health
      Delayed umbilical cord clamping benefits baby, affects cord blood donation
      June 30, 2022
    • Bearded person with glasses
      Speaking of Health
      Men's health: Checkups, screenings key
      June 29, 2022
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Wednesday, May 19, 2021

    4 reasons young women need a primary care provider

    Smiling looking to side

    As a young adult woman, life becomes more hectic with new responsibilities and changes. You’re very busy these days, and dedicating time to establishing with a primary care provider can be challenging, especially if you work during daytime hours or are raising a family.

    Here are 4 reasons why it is important to develop a relationship with a primary care provider now:

    1. Provides care throughout your lifetime.

    A primary care provider can provide a wide variety of health care services.

    Family medicine providers, in particular, can care for you from birth and beyond with:
    • Maternity care
    • Acute or same-day care
    • Emergency care
    • Posthospital medicine care
    • Virtual medicine care

    2. Knows you and your health goals.

    The provider-patient relationship is valuable, and having a primary care provider who knows you and your medical history well can improve your experience as a patient and help you achieve your goals faster. After establishing with a primary care provider, future appointments can be more productive. Seeing a provider who already knows your health history allows you to focus more time on the potential problems at hand. Establishing this relationship also allows you to feel more comfortable discussing personal concerns and asking questions.

    3. Helps you stay healthy.

    If you have not established care with a primary care provider, you are missing out on important preventive care, crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

    Young women should be seen for:
    • Physical exams
    • Lifestyle counseling
    • Vaccination updates
    • Lab testing, if indicated
    • Intermittent pap smears (21 and over) to screen for cervical cancer

    Preventive testing screens for chronic medical conditions can help providers to diagnose conditions in the early stages before you even begin having symptoms.

    4. Coordinates specialty care.

    Primary care providers can make specialty referrals, when appropriate, and coordinate specialty care.

    After being seen by a specialist, the primary care provider will:
    • Receive results from your visit and can continue help coordinate your care
    • Ensure all of your providers are on the same page
    • Help you to understand your diagnosis and treatment plan

    The hope for the future is for young adults to establish with a primary care provider to focus on self-care and preventive care throughout life.

    Stephanie Held is a physician assistant in Family Medicine in Le Sueur, Minnesota.


    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • Family Medicine
    • Women's Health

    Related Posts

    Gowned person on clinic exam table Preparing for your first pelvic exam
    Holding cup and saucer eyes closed Self-care tips for moms
    relationship_final_web How to have a healthy relationship with your health care provider

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Community Resources
    • Mayo Clinic Connect
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Home
    © 2018 - 2022 Mayo Clinic Health System