Taking care of your health is very important. Regular visits to your general practitioner as well as to a gynecologist are must if you care about your body and want to stay healthy. Specialists say that women need to see their gynecologist at least once a year since the beginning of their sexual life. Others say that it is important to have a first gynecological exam for women who have not yet started being sexually active but have reached the age of 18. And of course, in case a woman has problems with her reproductive system she needs to see her gynecologist at any age. A gynecological examination is something that many women are afraid of before they actually have it for the first time. Here is a list of the things that are going to happen during your first visit to a gynecologist, including the preparation before it.
Before the Exam
When you decide to make an appointment with your gynecologist, do make sure that your visit will be during the middle of your menstrual cycle. Once the appointment is scheduled avoid having sexual intercourse, vaginal douche or putting anything, like tampons into your vagina two days before it. You are advised to think and write a list of any questions and queries you would like to ask your doctor. In addition, think of your choices when birth control method is concerned.
On the day of your scheduled exam you do not need to do anything special. You should shower normally with soap and water, avoiding talc or cream since it could affect test results. It is best for you to wear comfortable clothes in order to feel calm when you have to get undressed.
On the Day of the Exam
Before your examination a nurse may ask for urine and blood samples for the test. The nurse will also weigh and measure you and your blood pressure. Afterwards you will talk to your doctor, who will ask various questions about your previous medical history, your family history and past surgeries. It is also important for you to remember when your first period was and what it is like - whether it is regular, how long it lasts etc. It is important to tell your doctor whether you are sexually active or not. Feel free to ask any questions you want.
Your gynecologist will then ask you to undress and leave you alone in a room for a while. You will also be given a hospital gown or drape sheet, which will help you feel more comfortable and relaxed. After you are ready, the doctor will ask you to sit on the examining table putting your feet in the foot rests.
Physical and External Genitalia Exams
Physical examination includes palpation of the breasts to check for any abnormalities, pelvic, abdominal and manual exams. The gynecologist will examine your external genitalia with latex gloves on. Your vulva will be examined for any pathologic symptoms. Physical examination should not be painful but if it is, you should tell your doctor straight away, since this could be a sign of certain pathology.
Speculum Examination
The speculum exam follows the physical examination. The gynecologist will insert a lubricated speculum into the vagina to check for any abnormalities like cysts, erosions, irritations and others. Before the speculum is inserted the doctor will first slip a finger into your vagina to find the cervix and detect the vaginal angle.
During this exam the Pap smear is taken. This means that a few cells of your cervix will be swiped with a brush or spatula. This is not painful but may cause some spotting for the patient afterwards, which should not be painful either. The doctor will then collect samples for sexually transmitted diseases tests. Only then the speculum will be gently removed from a woman’s vagina and the examination will be over.
Bimanual Exam
During this part of gynecological examination the gynecologist will lubricate her/his two (second and third) fingers and put them into the vagina. The doctor will put another hand on the abdomen in order to palpate the uterus and ovaries and check for any swelling or growths.
Bimanual exam ends the gynecological examination, which normally takes not longer than 5 minutes. You may now remove your legs from the stirrups and get up from the examination table and get dressed.
After the Exam
You may ask any questions about your examination after it is over. The doctor can do some tests in the own laboratory, therefore you will be able to discuss the results of some tests on the same day. Results of the other tests performed may take a few days, and hence you will need to come back once again for them.
In case any treatment is needed the gynecologist will prescribe certain medications. He/she will also recommend you a method of birth control if you need one. Remember to ask any questions that you wish about your test results, choices of birth control, treatment or sexual life. Your gynecologist is there for you to help and give any information you need.
As you can see there is nothing to fear about the gynecological examination. If you still have any concerns about the exam, feel free to ask your friends, your sister or your mother as there is nothing embarrassing about it. And after you have had your first gynecological examination you will practically know that it is nothing extraordinary, uncomfortable but very informative and important for every woman. Remember, that staying healthy is taking care of your body and health.
Yes I realize it's over a year ago now but, to the Guest criticising the rest of us for feeling the way we do...
How do you whether or not the others have or have not been raped in their past? And how do you feel you have a right to call us ignorant and stupid, what about you? Maybe it's okay for you, maybe you can deal with it and it doesn't mean anything to you. Well good for you then. But not everyone thinks or feels exactly the way you do. You put yourself up on this pedestal that you don't deserve, by any means, and try to act like you're so much higher and more intelligent than the rest of us. Get over yourself.
On a side note: I for one as a matter of fact, HAVE been raped and more than once or twice in my lifetime. Regardless whether it's a male or female, it doesn't matter. It definitely brings back old memories that I'd rather just forget. Having an extra nurse in the room "for support/comfort" only makes it worse, I feel like they may as well have a camera in their hands... I refuse to go anymore. No amount of therapy or medication can ever make it feel okay. And yes, I agree, I'd rather die than visit a gynecologist ever again. That does NOT make me any less valuable as a human being than you.
Jinx 2008-09-28 02:00:27
If you are a woman who has been violated by ob-gyn exams, you are not alone. Join the Yahoo group, Women Against Stirrups:
We discuss alternatives to ob-gyn exams and hospital birth, learn about the seedy history behind ob-gyn, and share our experiences with like-minded women. Stop the violation. Come join the revolution.
Guest 2007-03-27 03:27:36
Good lord - with the photo of the "EVIL GYNECOLOGIST" at the top of the article exactly what is this website trying to do scare women to death - LITERALLY?
Ladies - please do not insult yourselves or me with your declarations "GIVE ME DEATH BY CANCER BEFORE EVER A GYN TOUCHES ME" that is just stupid.
If you find yourself avoiding the GYN then you probably are having anxiety about it - otherwise you would be going and don't keep spewing out that "I feel so violated" or "I feel raped" nonsense. Unless you have been violated or raped then you have no freaking clue what that feels like.
I have been raped, I have had uterine cancer and I survived BECAUSE I have had annual GYN exams since I was 16 years old. I'm nearly 50 now and I don't look forward to my GYN exams - I dread them, but I KNOW THEY ARE IMPORTANT and so I do it. I do it because I love my life, I love my husband, I love my children. I know we're all going to die of something but at least I know what it WON'T be - IGNORANCE or STUPIDITY! Ignorance is when you don't know any better. Stupidity is when you do know better but you prefer to act like you don't.
Nobody ever said a Gyn exam would feel good - it's a medical exam! Do you like the tongue depressor when the doctor wants to see your throat? I don't either. Why does the doctor want to know about your sexual activity? So he or she can educate you on proper birth control and safe sex practices and make sure that you are being cared for properly in accordance to your risk factors. If you engage in risky behavior then you are not allowed to complain about the consequences.
I'm just appalled at the number of women who think that having a gyn exam is worse than cancer and equate it with rape - you make me ill with your ignorance.
Guest 2007-03-26 21:11:10
I do not trust anyone male or female to touch me. Until I or someone else find a way to test, I will just have to run the risk of cancer. Oh well.
Guest 2007-03-23 01:24:37
oh I just read the new stories....it is terrible. The medical system is truly fucked up. I agree...I rather died from cancer than feel raped again.... I agree with the woman that is in the nursing school. And I just can imagine how it was for the lady that wants to be a mum. I am 38 and I quit the idea of being a mum, unless I have it at home, at my own risk. My name is Ana, it is a faked one because there are very intimate things I already wrote about me in this chat. I was the one that wrote on January 26th. I keep on contacting gyn and therapist to see what can be done. I rarely have an answer and they are mostly women. Shame on them!!! I am also trying now to gather stories about women that have felt violated after a gyn. exam. You now know how it is to feel you are not alone....My plan is to create later on an organization...maybe I am naive, but I want to help myself and help others. Maybe a program could be created for us....where we could have treatment for a year or as long as it take, and maybe WE WOMEN can change the rules. Rules mostly based on denigration, violation, etc. Our fear wont' let them abuse us anymore. I have created an email
Maybe you can create also a faked name and email and we can keep in touch and DO something. I live in NY...Please be well be in peace
Guest 2007-03-19 07:33:20
I reallly dont get the suggestion to take medication for anxiety prior to the exam. Im not anymore anxious about the exam than I am going to the dentist or getting a shot. Anxiety is not the issue, its feeling violated afterwards, and feeling disconnected from yourself. Im in nursing school. I understood the importance of preventative medicine. I workout, eat right, dont smoke or drink, etc. But Iwould rather risk cancer than to spend the rest of my life feeling violated.
Guest 2007-03-18 20:07:12
As far as I'm concerned, until there can be a more scientific way of checking women (that is, with no other people involved), I will have to run the risk of cancer. There are many gynecological tools on the market (which look better than a speculum) and yet they are not even considered. This shows most gynecologists' incompetence, because obviously they are not keeping up with new developments in their field. They are among some of the most primitive doctors known. And no, I will never have that exam!
Guest 2007-03-16 13:27:24
Rest assured none of you are alone. I had not had a pelvic exam in three years and was buying my birth control pills online, but I really want to have children with my husband so I went to the doctor after 3 years and saw a nurse practitioner. She was very good. Talked to me like a human being, understood and prescribed xanax for the procedure in the future, though I did ok after that initial one. They called me back 3 weeks later to tell me I had to come back and have a colposcopy for which I did take the xanax. But the nurse practitioner I saw doesn't do the procedure so I had to see one of the MD's. The xanax did little to help and I was asked to take my clothes off before meeting this woman. She did the procedure with someone else in the room (made it worse) and told me I would probably have to come back for LEEP. I don't know if I can have the procedure. I felt so violated. When I expressed my fear she gave me a list of psychiatrists because she doesn't treat PTSD and told me cervical displasia was treatable....frankly at this point I don't give a shit about cancer or displasia, I don;t think i can go back. I don't know how I could survive being pregnant, my husband would probably divorce me over it. I can't have sex or even be touched casually now and after the LEEP I won;t be able to have sex for a month anyway. I really don't know what to do, this is worse than when I was raped because no one seems to understand.
Guest 2007-02-15 04:54:02
Everyone has phobias about something - but when it starts to interfere with your daily life or prevents you from doing something you need to do then it's time to seek pscyhological help in dealing with your phobia.
When it's time for you to make your next appointment tell the appointment nurse that you are having anxiety over your appointment and that you have had difficulty with pelvic exams in the past and you would like to know if they offer anything to help relieve the anxiety. Many dentist offices do provide a dose of a short-acting anti-anxiety drug to their patients - there is no reason why an Ob/Gyn can't or won't. IF they say no, then try a new doctor's office - call all of them in the phone book until you find one that says yes.
A pelvic exam is important and can save your life just as a breast exam, digital rectal exam, and measuring your blood pressure. Don't let your anxiety, phobia or bad past experiences or horror stories of other people scare you into compromising your own health.
Guest 2007-02-12 00:40:23
hi...I am the one that wrote the msg that starts "I am responding to..." I just read the 3 others responses....I am shocked. I am so so sorry and angry that we are alone in all this. You know after I wrote this, I found 9 email addresses and I wrote to gynecologists and rape organizations. Only one nice lady got back to me.!!! I even wrote a woman you have done research on this issue. No answer!!! Yes there is no information on the internet, none!!! I am gonna look in my email for what I got and gonna go back and post it. I also cry still when I think about this. None of my friends have asked me again, how are you, what can be do to help you overcome this issue? Nothing, feel lonely. I finally got a Matrona (lady that helps the gyn) to allow me to do a swap by myself (I use tampax for Godīs sake!), and the first thing SHE said was. Oh but do you have sex? Again the same fucking question. I guess, if we are not virgins then we have to allow everything! I am not virgin so "donīt be silly and let everyone get inside of you!!!" is what I should do? Can you believe this? and coming from women!!! Shame on them!!! They belong to a macho type of medical school, and most of the time they are even less sensitive than men are. By reading your answers, I feel I am not so crazy and that I am not so alone. Thank you so much, really....just I feel also deep sadness for I know what your suffering is. Wish I could do something for all of us. What thing is sure, I wonīt give up, now I know I should keep going in my search. I am not the only one. God bless you!
Guest 2007-02-10 04:56:36
I get so angry when I read descriptions of the pelvic exams, rectal exams, and PAP tests. They lie! It hurts like a b**ch. I have never seen a DR who was gentle. I have not been to the GYN since my daughter's birth 7 years ago. Negligence/indifference in the delivery room led to a Csection after 14 hours of induced hard labor. As a result, i am now terrified of all GYN exams, sex, and any type of surgery. I probably will die because of it. I sympathize with all of you. I have finally made a PAP appointment this month, and I am not sure I will be able to keep it. I have already told them that I refuse to have pelvic, rectal, or breast exams- just get the swab and get the damn speculum out! I may need some extra anti-anxiety meds if I do go to the appointment. My mother and sister made me do this- they don't know the extent of my fear. I sympathize greatly with all of you.
Guest 2007-02-08 04:00:02
I understand the phobia too. I am 34 years old and was forced to have pap and pelvic exams yearly when i was a military member, and when i was pregnant they hurt me extremely with their damn exams. I, too, feel like this is sexual assault, and the military is guilty of inflicting it on women year after year. I feel for all of you. i have to have a PAP because I have had dysplasia in the past, and it has been about six years since my last PAP, which was abnormal. I am psyching myself up for it, but I will refuse the pelvic, rectal, and breast exams. they can brush mr cervics and send it to the lab- that is it. I don't have to take the molestation any more.
Guest 2007-02-04 10:15:00
I am so glad that someone else feel the way I do. I went for an exam two years ago, and I had depression for months. I got pregnant last year. My daughter is the best thing in my life, but I can't get over what I went through to have here. I was pushed to go to an office where several doctors practice. I could not choose which one I wanted. I had to see a different one each time. So, to make a difficult situation worse, I feel like I was molested over and over by several different people. Now, I am in nursing school, have a little baby, and I feel like I am about to go crazy. I feel intense hate for myselt, and I dont know what to do.
Guest 2007-01-26 03:36:23
I am responding to this woman that have phobia of getting pelvic exams. Me too, and I am over 30, no kids, etc. I got an infection last year and I may have HPV, donīt know, they tried to force me to go. I said, I went once to the doctor, a woman. I already had panic attacks about going. I tried and then I felt raped, nobody care about your emotions. They say, go to counceling to try to convince you. Or even a woman say, but donīt u have sex?! I said yes, but not in a " hello how are you, open my legs, let a stranger put his or her fingers inside of me" and they even pay them!!! I am raped and I have to pay for it!!!. I beat myself up, and wanted to kill me. I was lonely in my bathroom. Nobody care. I asked doctor for full anesthesia, they said no. My dear friend, I am angry too. I may be dying. I chose death over being raped by an stranger. Society, tells you that having sex in not so good somehow. THen they force u to go to a doctor. If u refuse they laugh, you can see in their eyes that u are crazy. Oh well, it is my body and my dignity. That picture u guy posted of the young man with the globe is disgusting!!! You ever post it, stick it in your ass!!!
Guest 2006-11-29 22:28:58
I am 20, almost 21, and have only been to an examination once at the insistence of my partner. It was, quite possibly, the most traumatic experience of my life. I wouldn't even allow the doctor to do a pelvic exam, and I still felt so violated. What I experienced afterwards was similar to rape trauma. I can't believe that more women do not speak up about this. I'm also shocked by how little information there is on the internet about this type of phobia. I was told that when women turn 21 they are supposed to have a pap smear, but I don't think I could survive that level of violation. I get angry and start crying at the thought of it. You aren't alone.
Guest 2006-05-19 09:53:35
I'm 17.5 years old and I'm absolutely terrified. I used to have panic attacks, but haven't gotten them for a couple years, and I'm worried that the future appointment will trigger one. I too feel that it will be like being raped. Whenever I think of those damn stirrup things, I just imagine myself kicking the doctor away really hard. No... like, REALLY hard. I find it just so violating. You're not alone.
Guest 2006-01-23 23:05:23
I have a phobia of getting pelvic exams. I litterally have a panic attack and ruminate over the impending (clinical rape) for weeks leading up to the appointment. Afterwards, I feel so violated it takes me about a month or so to feel back to myself. This entire process consumes nearly three months of my life each year. I tried therapy for years, medication, hypnotherapy, all have failed. I have since given up having them and order my prescription birth control online. Has anyone ever been in my shoes? I feel all alone and angry.
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Taking care of your health is very important. Regular visits to your general practitioner as well as to a gynecologist are must if you care about your body and want to stay healthy. Specialists say that women need to see their gynecologist at least once a year since the beginning of their sexual life. Others say that it is important to have a 
