When getting a Pap Smear, What exactly does the OB/GYN look for on your first ex!
Question: I'm sexually active & I know that I should be going to get a check up soon at the Gyno. Do you know what they look for? & will it hurt the first time?
Answers: I'm sexually active & I know that I should be going to get a check up soon at the Gyno. Do you know what they look for? & will it hurt the first time?
They are looking at several things... they will have you take off everything below the waste, and give you a gown to wear... then you sit on the exam table and the GYN will have you rest your feet in the stirrups and then using lubrication the GYN will insert a speculum... its a tool that opens up the vagina... dont worry...you may feel some pressure but it wont hurt.
1. Anatomy : looking at all the organs and making sure that everything is normal because you may want to have children later on in life; also at this time they look for anything abnormal such as bumps, lumps, ect which could be from infections, or from STDs. Mostly though they are mostly concerned with the size of your Ovaries, to make sure they are healthy and not growing fibroids. And they look to make sure the lining of the vagina/cervix/and opening to the uterus is healthy... some women can have disorders such as endometriosis, fibroids, cancer, or PMS due to problems with the anatomy.
2. Discharge: they are looking at the discharge, which should be clear to white like egg whites.... anything that is another color or has a smell could be an infection which they would want to treat with medication.
3. STD: if you are at risk for STDs or you request them to test for STDs they will take a sample of the discharge and analyze it under a microscope to look for bacteria. If you want to get checked for HIV and Syphillis, they will have to take a blood sample.
4. Pap Smear : needs to be done annually, they simply use a sterile cotton swab to get a sample of the cells inside your cervix and they will analyze it under a microscope to look for changes to the cells... as you know women can get Cervical cancer from an STD called HPV... so its important to get the Pap Smear done every year. People often have HPV and never know because it doesnt cause many symptoms. Guys can be carriers of the virus and spread it to a woman, even if only having sex one time. By having a pap smear every year, they will monitor your cells for any slight changes which could be the possibility of a cancer growing... they can then kill the cancer before it becomes worse.
5. Birth Control: you may be interested in going on some kind of birth control and they must do an exam to help decide which one is best for you... there are hundreds of different pills as well as other things like the shot, diaphragm, foams, ect... they need to make sure you are healthy to decide which one to put you on.
Good Luck! and Wonderful of you for taking care of your health!
Your doctor will put a special instrument called a speculum into your vagina. This helps open your vagina so the sample can be taken. Your doctor will gently clean your cervix with a cotton swab and then collect a sample of cells with a small brush, a tiny spatula or a cotton swab.
You will put your legs in stirrups. Then your doctor will insert a lubricated speculum inside your vagina and spread it open a bit. He/she will then take three cultures of your cervix - at the back of your vagina. To take the cultures your doctor will swab it with three things that look like a long q-tip. Your doctor will then have it sent to a lab. They are looking for abnormal cells from your cervix - HPV infection. It does not hurt. You will feel it, but it doesn't hurt.
i'm a nurse, assisted in a pap smear test and had one for myself before i was pregnant. the doctor will ask you to lie on an exam table and then assist you into a lithotomy position in which you fold your knees and spread them apart. the doctor will then insert a vaginal speculum to be able to get a full access of the area (this is the uncomfy part and the doctor will make you breathe through your mouth to relax). then with a sterile specimen stick, the doctor will swipe an area to obtain a tissue sample. this sample will be brought to the lab for examination. The lab will actually check the tissue for abnormal cells, possible infection from certain microorganisms, and others. that's basically it. the results will be back i think after a day. then the doctor will give you the diagnosis. after all that said, i suggest you take the test since you're sexually active. and one piece of advice, your activity is one that promotes cervical cancer, so maybe you could reduce it to a safer level. good luck! :)