At a first exam the client will meet with a support worker who will do a health history and talk with her about why she is at Links. The support worker will also answer any questions or address any concerns.

The support worker will show the client to a changing room where she can change into an exam gown. The client will be introduced to the health care professional, which may be a physician, a nurse/midwife or a nurse practitioner. After the health care professional speaks to the client, he/she will ask the client to sit on the examining table where he/she will listen to the client's heart and lungs. Then the client will lie on the table and the health care professional will examine the breasts to be sure there are no lumps or irregularities and instruct her how to perform the exam herself. It is recommended that a female examine her own breasts monthly.

In order to examine a female’s reproductive organs (the uterus and ovaries), a health practitioner must look and feel inside the vagina. To do the exam the health worker will ask the client to place her feet into metal stirrups at the bottom edge of the examining table and push herself down to the end of the table with her buttocks at the edge, knees bent and spread apart. It may seem awkward, but it should not be painful. The health professional will tell the client exactly what he/she is doing, first putting on thin rubber gloves, then checking the outside of the genital area for anything unusual, then gently placing a speculum into the vagina so he/she can see the cervix. Links uses small disposable speculums. It should not be painful. It is important for the client to relax her pelvic muscles. It helps to take deep relaxing breaths.

The health professional will be looking for any sign of irritation, inflammation of the vagina or unusual discharge. At the discretion of the health professional, a Pap Smear might be done by using a long Q-tip like stick to gently scrape some cells from the cervix, which will be sent to a laboratory to check for abnormal cells. If any precancerous cells are found they can be safely treated. The Pap Smear can also detect the presence of some sexually transmitted infections, like genital warts. The health professional will also do a chlamydia test by using another swab.

The last part is the manual exam. The health professional will gently insert one or two gloved fingers into the vagina. The other hand will be placed on the outside of the abdomen. By doing this the practitioner can feel the size and shape of the uterus and ovaries. He or she will be looking for any growths, swelling or tenderness. It may feel a little uncomfortable, but it should not hurt. The entire exam takes only a few minutes. When it is completed the client returns to the changing room to put on her own clothes after which she will return to the examining room to discuss any issues with the health professional. If any further explanations or instructions need to be given, the support worker will spend as much time with the client as is needed.