Going to the Gyno for the first time in a few weeks...what can I expect on the f!
Question: You will have a few examinations done, which include the following:
A pelvic exam is a way for your gynaecologist to examine your female organs and check for any gynaecological problems.
You may be worried about your first pelvic exam. It's very normal to be anxious about something when you don't know what to expect. Hopefully after reading this, you will be reassured that it is simple, isn't painful and takes only about 5 minutes. It is also normal to feel embarrassed or uneasy about your first exam, I still feel embarrassed with mine and I've had may many pelvic examinations over the past 10 years due to female related problems I'm experiencing. I actually just went to see my gyno about 2 months back for a follow up after having surgery and being diagnosed with endometriosis and the examination, really is a simple, painless examination that literally only takes a couple of minutes.
However, if you know what to expect, it may help you relax. I'm sure your gyno understands how you feel and will be sensitive and gentle, and answer any questions you have.
There are other important reasons to have a pelvic exam. These may include:
- Unexplained pain in your lower belly or around the pelvic area, where your vagina is;
- Vaginal discharge or wetness on your underwear that causes itching, burning or smells bad;
- No menstrual periods by age 15 or 16;
- Vaginal bleeding that lasts more than 10 days;
- Missed periods; especially if you are having sex;
- Menstrual cramps so bad that you miss school or work.
During your first check up your gyno will ask you questions about:
- Your general health, allergies and medications you are taking;
- Your menstrual period, such as how old you were when you first got it, how long it lasts, how often it comes, how much you bleed , the first day that your last period started, if you have cramps; and at what age your breasts started to develop.
- Whether you have ever had sex or have been sexually abused.
- If you have vaginal itchiness or an unusual discharge or odor from your vagina.
If you find it comforting your partner, a friend or your Mum can go with you. After you have given your medical history, been weighed and had your blood pressure checked, you will be asked to put on a gown. You will need to remove your clothes including your underwear and bra. A breast exam is often done as a routine part of this check-up.
Your gyno will explain the steps to the exam and ask you to lie down on the exam table. You will be given a sheet to put over your stomach and legs. You will then be asked to move down to the end of the table and place your feet in stirrups (these are holders for your feet). With your knees bent, you will be asked to let your knees fall to each side allowing your legs to spread apart. This is usually the part when most women feel embarrassed. This feeling is normal too. Just remember that although this is your first exam, this is routine for your gyno and their only concern is for your health.
There are 3 parts to this exam. Sometimes not all parts of the pelvic exam are necessary. Ask your gyno which part or parts will be done for your examination.
Your gyno will first look at the area outside of your vagina, (clitoris, labia, vaginal opening, and rectum).
Now some information about the papsmear. The speculum is an instrument made of metal or plastic. Your gyno will place the speculum into your vagina. After it is inserted, it will be gently opened so that your gyno can see your vagina and your cervix (the opening to your uterus).
After checking your vagina and cervix, your gyno may take a thin plastic stick and a special tiny brush or a small "broom" and gently wipe away some of the cells from your cervix. This is a pap smear, which detects early changes of the cervix before they become cancer. Most girls have normal pap smears.
If you are having vaginal discharge, your gyno will take another sample to check for yeast and other causes of discharge. If you are having sex, your gyno will take another sample from the cervix to check for sexually transmitted diseases. When all of these samples have been taken, your doctor will close the speculum and gently take it out.
When the exam is over, your gyno will answer any questions you have and tell you when to make your next appointment. He/she will also talk to you about any medications you may need and tell you when and how you will get the results of the exam.
I hope this information helps you out. Best of luck and remember to try to relax. If at any time during your examination, you feel uncomfortable or anything causes pain, you have the right to stop your gyno and let him/her know.
Good luck. :)
Answers: You will have a few examinations done, which include the following:
A pelvic exam is a way for your gynaecologist to examine your female organs and check for any gynaecological problems.
You may be worried about your first pelvic exam. It's very normal to be anxious about something when you don't know what to expect. Hopefully after reading this, you will be reassured that it is simple, isn't painful and takes only about 5 minutes. It is also normal to feel embarrassed or uneasy about your first exam, I still feel embarrassed with mine and I've had may many pelvic examinations over the past 10 years due to female related problems I'm experiencing. I actually just went to see my gyno about 2 months back for a follow up after having surgery and being diagnosed with endometriosis and the examination, really is a simple, painless examination that literally only takes a couple of minutes.
However, if you know what to expect, it may help you relax. I'm sure your gyno understands how you feel and will be sensitive and gentle, and answer any questions you have.
There are other important reasons to have a pelvic exam. These may include:
- Unexplained pain in your lower belly or around the pelvic area, where your vagina is;
- Vaginal discharge or wetness on your underwear that causes itching, burning or smells bad;
- No menstrual periods by age 15 or 16;
- Vaginal bleeding that lasts more than 10 days;
- Missed periods; especially if you are having sex;
- Menstrual cramps so bad that you miss school or work.
During your first check up your gyno will ask you questions about:
- Your general health, allergies and medications you are taking;
- Your menstrual period, such as how old you were when you first got it, how long it lasts, how often it comes, how much you bleed , the first day that your last period started, if you have cramps; and at what age your breasts started to develop.
- Whether you have ever had sex or have been sexually abused.
- If you have vaginal itchiness or an unusual discharge or odor from your vagina.
If you find it comforting your partner, a friend or your Mum can go with you. After you have given your medical history, been weighed and had your blood pressure checked, you will be asked to put on a gown. You will need to remove your clothes including your underwear and bra. A breast exam is often done as a routine part of this check-up.
Your gyno will explain the steps to the exam and ask you to lie down on the exam table. You will be given a sheet to put over your stomach and legs. You will then be asked to move down to the end of the table and place your feet in stirrups (these are holders for your feet). With your knees bent, you will be asked to let your knees fall to each side allowing your legs to spread apart. This is usually the part when most women feel embarrassed. This feeling is normal too. Just remember that although this is your first exam, this is routine for your gyno and their only concern is for your health.
There are 3 parts to this exam. Sometimes not all parts of the pelvic exam are necessary. Ask your gyno which part or parts will be done for your examination.
Your gyno will first look at the area outside of your vagina, (clitoris, labia, vaginal opening, and rectum).
Now some information about the papsmear. The speculum is an instrument made of metal or plastic. Your gyno will place the speculum into your vagina. After it is inserted, it will be gently opened so that your gyno can see your vagina and your cervix (the opening to your uterus).
After checking your vagina and cervix, your gyno may take a thin plastic stick and a special tiny brush or a small "broom" and gently wipe away some of the cells from your cervix. This is a pap smear, which detects early changes of the cervix before they become cancer. Most girls have normal pap smears.
If you are having vaginal discharge, your gyno will take another sample to check for yeast and other causes of discharge. If you are having sex, your gyno will take another sample from the cervix to check for sexually transmitted diseases. When all of these samples have been taken, your doctor will close the speculum and gently take it out.
When the exam is over, your gyno will answer any questions you have and tell you when to make your next appointment. He/she will also talk to you about any medications you may need and tell you when and how you will get the results of the exam.
I hope this information helps you out. Best of luck and remember to try to relax. If at any time during your examination, you feel uncomfortable or anything causes pain, you have the right to stop your gyno and let him/her know.
Good luck. :)
lol dont u pay attention in health class! anyways i found an article about it..
Young Women and Gynecology
Most adult women are aware that they should see their health care provider once a year for a gynecologic exam. But what about girls and young women? Do they even need to visit a gynecologist? When should they start?
Michael Lund, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, says it all depends on the young woman in question. A family physician or pediatrician can usually provide general gynecologic health care for young women, he says. "There isn't any reason for those under the age of 18 to see a gynecologist, unless they are sexually active or are having reproductive health concerns." For teenagers, that might include painful periods, heavy periods, ovarian cysts, vaginal discharge, lack of periods (amenorrhea), or contraception issues.
Routine Pap smears to test for cervical cancer don't usually begin until age 21, or 3 years after a woman has first been sexually active. "Of course," emphasizes Dr. Lund, "if a young woman would like to talk to the doctor about any of her concerns before becoming sexually active, that is certainly encouraged. Many mothers of teenagers will bring them to the gynecologist's office just to talk about these things."
The First Visit
Dr. Lund says that often, the first visit is just a time for patient and practitioner to meet. The health care provider will first take a history, which typically include the following questions:
Age at first menstrual period?
Current menstrual history (How often are your periods? How long do they last? How heavy is the bleeding? Do you have pain?)
Sexual history (Have you had intercourse or any other sexual activity? Do you use condoms? Have you ever been tested for STDs?)
Any history of abuse or violence?
Any concerns or questions?
"We ask additional questions based on her concerns," says Dr. Lund. "For example, for someone who has never had a period at age 16 or 17, we would ask if/when breast development started, if/when pubic hair development started, and if/when the growth spurt started."
"We obviously concentrate on prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in all healthy patients," says Dr. Lund, "but the majority of adolescent patients who see us are requesting contraception or sexually transmitted disease testing, or are having particular health concerns."
"We make sure the first visit isn't threatening," says Dr. Lund. "We provide education and take a history. Often, we won't even do an exam until there's a good reason to do one." The physician will also make sure there aren't any major symptoms that need further evaluation. For example, painful periods in young women are generally caused by an excess of prostaglandins - the chemicals that mediate pain.
"Ibuprofen, naproxen and other drugs in that class block these chemicals so they are the most effective way to treat painful menstrual cramps," says Dr. Lund. "If that doesn't work, we might prescribe hormonal methods such as birth control pills because these also help to lessen cramps. If that doesn't work, we might look for other causes of the pain, such as endometriosis or infections." Another problem young women might experience is heavy periods. Heavy periods are often caused by anovulation in the early teenage years."
"Anovulation means that ovulation doesn't occur regularly at first," Dr. Lund says. "And ovulation is one of the keys to having regular, normal periods. The average young woman doesn't ovulate consistently for the first 12-18 months after the first period; they generally become more regular with time. We can temporarily regulate the periods better by using hormonal methods such as birth control pills, which are safe in this age group. We also make sure there isn't another problem going on; some women might have a bleeding disorder such as von Willebrand's disease, which will make their periods very heavy."
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Unfortunately, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an issue in adolescent gynecological health. "The best advice regarding STDs," Dr. Lund says, "is that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid them. Really." Having said that, Dr. Lund notes that condoms help lessen the risk of acquiring most STDs, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But it's important to remember that some STDs are difficult to prevent, and Dr. Lund recommends that any woman who has been sexually active should be receiving annual STD screening.
As far as statistics, Dr. Lund reports, "HPV (Human Papillomavirus) and chlamydia are the two most commonly acquired STDs during the teenage years. HPV causes genital warts, which are treated with a topical medication, by freezing, or by injections if necessary. Then he gives a staggering estimate: "HPV affects up to 60% of the sexually active population at some point."
According to the National Institutes of Health, chlamydia is the most common of all bacterial sexually transmitted infections. It is easily treated with antibiotics, but may go unnoticed, as many people have few or no symptoms. Again, Dr. Lund offers an unfortunate statistic: "Chlamydia affects somewhere between 2% and 10% of females age 15 to 19," he notes, but since this statistic is a percentage of all females in that age group, including those who are not yet sexually active, the incidence of infection among sexually active young women is actually much higher.
Birth Control
"Any time we talk about STD protection we should be talking about pregnancy protection as well," states Dr. Lund. "Again, nothing is failsafe except abstinence, but there are some very effective methods available." Information about contraceptive options, including risks and failure rates, are listed on the website of the US Food and Drug Administration, including:
Male and female condoms
Oral contraceptives
Diaphragm
Cervical cap
Injected contraceptives
Implanted contraceptives
It's important that all contraceptive options, along with their rates of effectiveness and possible side effects, are discussed with the health care provider.
In addition, girls or young women seeing a gynecologist for the first time might have questions such as:
Why haven't I had a period yet?
Are my menstrual cycles normal?
What happens during a pelvic exam?
What's the purpose of a Pap smear?
How do I avoid pregnancy?
How do I get/avoid sexually transmitted infections?
Dr. Lund says a visit to a gynecologist or other health care provider is essential for any young woman who has questions or issues that need to be addressed. "There are often things we can do to make life better with regard to very heavy periods or very painful periods," he notes. "If young women are missing school or work or things they enjoy because their period is that bad, we can generally make their lives easier." He also emphasizes that any girl or woman who is sexually active, regardless of her age, needs to have regular reproductive health care.