On Wednesday I am going to the Gyno for the first time.?!
Question: I am 17, and I am going to get on the pill. Can somebody give me some step by step things to expect? What are they going to ask, what all am I going to have to do? I have had sex befor. Somebody help me im freakin! Thanks!
Answers: I am 17, and I am going to get on the pill. Can somebody give me some step by step things to expect? What are they going to ask, what all am I going to have to do? I have had sex befor. Somebody help me im freakin! Thanks!
If you're getting an exam, here's how the whole thing goes.
Be sure to relax, and use the bathroom first to empty your bladder or bowels. Having to go to the bathroom during an exam is not a fun experience.
Your doctor will begin with:
Some questions about your medical history you and your mother will answer together (or, if you've asked to go the whole visit alone, which you'll answer yourself).
A basic physical exam, just like at a "regular" doctors, including an examination of your eyes and ears, heart and lungs, blood pressure, and weight.
A basic abdominal exam, where (s)he massages your stomach and hip area, and will ask if any spots are tender or painful.
(S)he may also take some blood samples from your arm to check your hormone levels (which in the case of abnormal periods, may be out of whack). You may also get a standard blood and urine screen for STIs, particularly if you have been sexually active. If you have been sexually active, you should be sure to ask for those tests expressly: some doctors only do them when patients ask for them.
Before or after this point, you'll be given a gown to get into if you're going to get a bimanual and/or speculum exam. Most likely, before the pelvic exam, the doctor will do a breast exam, during which (s)he will feel your breasts and chest area in massaging movements to check for any lumps or irregularities.
If you have not been at all sexually active yet, and are not having any possible reproductive issues you want him or her to look into, that may be the end of your exam. But if you have been sexually active, if you're over 18 or 21 (doctor's standards on this vary pretty widely), if you do have complaints or issues with your period or any part of your menstrual cycle, if you've been having any sort of reproductive issues -- like pelvic, vulvar, vaginal or rectal pain or discomfort, unexplained vaginal bleeding or spotting, or any unusual discharges, etc. -- then the rest of your exam will likely continue as follows.
Now, or perhaps sometime before, you may have noticed that the table you're on has stirrups, and the doctor may pull them out and ask you to slide your feet into them, and move your torso down on the table so that your bottom is sitting on the edge.
Your doctor will first just look at the appearance of your vulva, looking for any lumps or bumps, swelling, funny colors, or unusual discharge. (S)he may put a gloved finger on your vagina to see if your glands put out any pus or mucus when touched.
After this, your doctor may insert their gloved fingers into your vagina while they put their other hand on your abdomen and torso -- this is called a bimanual exam. (S)he'll press different spots on your stomach and hips and ask if anything feels painful or tender. Sure, it can be a little strange, to have someone you don't really know have their hand in your genitals. The best advice I can give you is to understand that's it's really no different from a doctor looking down your throat or in your ears. The only difference is that in our culture, we have put different importance on the genitals, and have different feelings of privacy. Gynecologists aren't perverts who just want to spend all day looking at women's vaginas. They are a specialized practice, just like someone who chooses to do heart surgery, and in general, are people whose personal cares lie in wanting to ensure women's reproductive health. There is no reason to feel it is dirty -- it isn't. You're taking care of yourself, and so is the doctor.
You may or may not get a speculum exam: if you have not been in any way sexually active, you don't actually need a speculum exam yet.
A speculum is a sanitary plastic or metal clamp device that comes in several different sizes which is used to hold open the vagina so that the doctor can examine the vaginal walls and cervix. If you are not used to this, or to what it feels like to have something placed into your vagina, this may hurt a little bit, but the doctor will gage a size of speculum that is right for you so that it is not too uncomfortable. Most people describe the feeling if a speculum exam less often as painful and more often as just a bit awkward. You may feel some pressure in your bladder (it may feel suddenly like you have to urinate, even if you don't) when the speculum is in, and if you do, let your doctor know, and (s)he will make adjustments so that you are more comfortable.
If you receive a pap smear while you are there -- this is a test to look for cervical cell changes, and to screen for cervical cancer -- (s)he will use a long q-tip of sorts to swab the cervix for tests. This swabbing doesn't hurt, it just feels a little weird, as you may not be used to ever feeling something on your cervix.
The ACOG is now currently advising that pap smears, specifically, begin either at age 21, or three years after first vaginal intercourse, whichever comes first, but the College of Family Physicians of Canada still suggests beginning at age 18 or once sexual activity begins. Whether or not you get a pap smear often depends on the specific doctor's practice, but as of right now, the most general guidelines of most medical associations and practices are roughly in agreement: women who have been sexually active for three years (or less), or who are 18-21 (including those not yet sexually active), are usually encouraged to begin pap smears yearly.
If you do get a cervical exam/pap smear and are curious, you can also ask your doctor to get a mirror and show you what your cervix looks like when the speculum is in. It's actually pretty cool to get a look at. If you're a big do-it-yourselfer, some gynecologists will even show you how to do a self-exam with a speculum if you ask them. You can take a look at some information on that from my other workplace here.
After removing the speculum, the next thing (s)he may do is a rectal exam, where (s)he will put one finger in your anus, and another in your vagina. This is so (s)he can make see how your uterus is aligned with the other parts of your reproductive organs. In general, this is the part of the exam most people find the most uncomfortable, especially if neither you nor anyone else has inserted a finger in your anus before. If the doctor knows it is your first exam, like any other part of the exam, you can feel confident (s)he will be gentle and careful -- and may not even do that part of the exam at all -- and do her/his best to cause you the least discomfort possible.
And that's it! That's it in just a couple of minutes, no less: the whole of that genital exam only lasts that long. It's nothing close to a long procedure. After the exam, is when your doctor may ask you if you have any questions, so that's a good time to bring anything you've been wondering or worried about to the table, like genital appearance issues, questions about your period, questions about sexual activity risks, what have you. One of the best parts of beginning a relationship with a gynecologist or other doctor able to provide those services is that it gives you a great go-to person for any questions you may ever have about sexual or reproductive health!
Again, a visit to the gynecologist isn't a punishment; it is a necessary part of keeping yourself healthy as a woman, and your gynecologist can turn out to be a great source of honest, accurate sexual information for you for years to come. So, take a deep breath, and realize that keeping your sexual health in tune should be something empowering for you, not something dreadful.
Dont take your mother in the room with you tell her you can go by yourself. I was scared to but gynos are not going to scold you for having sex. They will ask you if you are sexually active and you just need to be honest with them. I told my gyno that my mom didnt know that way when she was in the room he didn;t let it slip. He will do an exam just to make sure everything is alright. It doesnt hurt if you just relax. He will then help you decide what type of birth control is best for you. Its not a scary thing i know it seems like one but it is not that bad. good luck!
The dr will probably ask about your sexual history, will probably visit with you before they actually do the exam. They usually ask you to strip down and put on a hospital gown thing and will give you a sheet or something to put over your lap. A nurse should be present during the whole exam. When the doctor does the exam, you'll scoot to the end of the table, they'll place your feet in the stir-ups and do the exam. They'll use a speculum to do the exam and a pap smear, will feel around and push on your tummy. That's really about it. It's not much and doesn't take that long, although it may seem like forever. Try not to be embarrassed, the doctor does this for a living and we all have the same parts. Don't freak out, just keep in mind this is all so routine to the doctor and nurses.