Gynecological services

Routine gynecological care prevents illness and discomfort; allows for early detection of cancers of the breast and cervix — when they are more curable; detects sexually transmitted infections and other conditions before they cause serious damage; prevents sterility; and promotes healthy pregnancy and childbirth. Staying healthy is important. Whether you're young or old, married or single, sexually active or not, or whether you're lesbian, straight or bisexual — good gynecological care is key.

A full array of reproductive health care services

All of our health centers provide pelvic exams, Pap tests, breast cancer screenings and walk-in pregnancy testing (fees for pregnancy testing vary, depending on the type of funding available at that health center). Our staff is also trained to educate you about options for those patients who are unsure of their decision concerning pregnancy. Information and referrals for adoption, prenatal care, and counseling are available, as well as abortion information and referral.

Some of our health centers offer colposcopy and cryotherapy screenings. Colposcopy is a special exam that allows a closer look at your cervix. If there are any abnormal areas on the cervix, a tiny sample of tissue (biopsy) may be taken and sent to a laboratory for a closer study. Cryotherapy is an office procedure used to treat a problem in your cervix. Your health care professionals may choose to do cryotherapy if your colposcopy shows abnormal cells on your cervix. You can get a colposcopy and cryotherapy at our health centers in Bloomington, Evansville, Lafayette and Muncie, as well as at our Castleton and Northwest locations in Indianapolis.

LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure) is a treatment option in which a fine wire loop with a special high-frequency current allows precise removal of abnormal tissue from your cervix. Because the wire is so thin, there is very little damage to surrounding tissue. The loop also seals blood vessels, which decreases bleeding. A tissue sample from your cervix is sent to a laboratory for examination to rule out further problems. LEEP is only available at our Eastside location in Indianapolis.

We now offer the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, at nine of our health centers. Gardasil is a vaccine that provides protection against the diseases caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of all cervical cancers, and HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of genital warts. Click here for full details on the HPV vaccine. Gardasil is available at 18 health centers: Bloomington, Castleton (Indianapolis), Columbus, Eastside (Indianapolis), Evansville, Ft. Wayne, Hammond, Lafayette, Madison, Merrillville, Midtown (Indianapolis), Mishawaka, Muncie, Northwest (Indianapolis), Richmond, Southside (Indianapolis), Terre Haute and Warsaw.

Click here for more detailed information about our services including what to expect on your visit and information on maintaining your health, or call for an appointment at the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you: 1-800-230-PLAN.