A gynecology appointment can be a scary and uncomfortable experience for many women. However, preparing for it can help ease your fears and make the visit easier.
Prepare by writing down any concerns you have about your body or menstrual cycle. Also, make sure you’re ready with a list of questions to ask your doctor.
General Health Check
A gynecology appointment is a good time to discuss any health issues you may have, especially those related to menstruation, sexuality, relationships, and pregnancy. It’s a chance for you to get questions answered by a doctor who is trained and has been asked these questions many times before.
General health check-ups should be offered to all adults, regardless of age or health status, to detect and manage conditions. These checks can be done at any time of year, but are most common in early adulthood, and after menopause.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women aged 21 and older have annual pelvic exams and pap smears to screen for cervical cancer. They also recommend that women receive annual mammograms and a colonoscopy if they are at risk for colorectal cancer.
Pelvic Exam
The pelvic exam can be a bit scary and upsetting for some women. That’s why it’s important to feel confident in your doctor and have support during the exam.
Your doctor will examine your vagina for signs of cysts, abnormal discharge or genital warts. He or she may also perform a Pap test (Pap smear).
A Pap smear tests for cell abnormalities, especially cervical cancer. If your gynecologist thinks it’s needed, she or he will swipe a wand and collect cells from inside your cervix before removing the speculum.
Your doctor will then do a manual exam, which uses two gloved fingers to check your ovaries and uterus. He or she will also do a rectal exam, in which he or she inserts one gloved finger into your rectum.
Abdominal Exam
A comprehensive abdominal examination should be performed by a medical professional during all patient evaluations. This should include inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
The abdominal exam should be completed in a completely supine position to avoid involuntary guarding of intra-abdominal organs by the patient. The presence of any symptom that causes discomfort in the abdomen should be noted.
If a tender area is present, a patient should be asked to cough and the doctor will perform a percussion test by gently tapping it. This can reveal any underlying disease that may be causing the pain, such as small bowel obstruction, masses, tumors, or cancer.
During your pelvic exam, a gynecologist will feel the outside of your vulva, including your labia and clitoris. They will also check the opening of your vagina and your cervix for abnormalities. This exam is important to detect conditions like cervical cancer.
Bimanual Exam
When you arrive for your appointment, your gynecologist will ask you to remove your clothes and sit on an exam table. Your doctor may then drape a sheet over your legs for your privacy.
The doctor will then insert one or two gloved fingers into your vagina and another into your lower abdomen to feel for the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. They can also palpate (feel with their fingers) your breasts to check for lumps or changes in the skin.
This can be a little uncomfortable at first, but it is normal and is only done if there are gynecological problems that need to be assessed. Your doctor will do everything possible to make it as comfortable as possible, so if you are worried about the exam, rest assured that your doctor will do all they can to ease the process.
Pap Test
A Pap test is a screening test that checks for cervical cancer and other changes in your cervix. It is performed during a pelvic exam at your gynecology appointment and may be paired with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV).
Gynaecologist Hospital In Patna will insert a swab or brush into your vagina and scrape the surface of your cervix, which is the opening of your uterus. Then the sample is sent for testing.
The results of a Pap test can be normal, abnormal, or unsatisfactory. A normal result means that no abnormal cells were found.
