By Madeline Poage, Staff Writer, Emerson College
You walk into a clean, clinical office - white linoleum, rubber gloves at the ready, an unflattering paper dress all laid out for you. A pleasant nurse tells you to undress, put on the gown, and wait for the doctor, who - you are assured - will arrive in a minute. You obey and raise yourself up onto the table with the sheet of paper on top that crinkles loudly in the otherwise quiet room. If you are sexually active, you've abstained for at least two days. You've scheduled this appointment on a day where you aren't menstruating. You’re ready.
Fifteen to twenty minutes pass, and then the gynecologist enters.
What next?
This is the question many young women have as they prepare for their first gynecology appointment, often a scary and uncertain doctor visit. And for good reason. Going to the vagina doctor is a very personal and intimate experience, and many don’t know what to expect. But calm down, I’m going to run through it all, because despite how embarrassed and awkward you may feel discussing and showing your genitalia to a complete stranger, it’s important.
We left off with you in a scratchy paper gown and your doctor probably being late. So the gynecologist finally shows up, introduces themselves, and then proceeds to ask you a series of questions. These questions range from everything from your sex life, your medical history, your family’s medical history, whether you use condoms or not, but no matter what, it’s important to answer honestly and thoroughly. This means doing your homework. Get a good grip on your own history and your family’s, recall important dates, such as when you got your first period, and write down any questions you might have for your doctor. This isn’t a one way street, and you might forget what you wanted to ask if you’re nervous. And don’t be embarrassed about your questions - doctors, especially gynecologists, don’t judge.
You walk into a clean, clinical office - white linoleum, rubber gloves at the ready, an unflattering paper dress all laid out for you. A pleasant nurse tells you to undress, put on the gown, and wait for the doctor, who - you are assured - will arrive in a minute. You obey and raise yourself up onto the table with the sheet of paper on top that crinkles loudly in the otherwise quiet room. If you are sexually active, you've abstained for at least two days. You've scheduled this appointment on a day where you aren't menstruating. You’re ready.
Fifteen to twenty minutes pass, and then the gynecologist enters.
What next?
This is the question many young women have as they prepare for their first gynecology appointment, often a scary and uncertain doctor visit. And for good reason. Going to the vagina doctor is a very personal and intimate experience, and many don’t know what to expect. But calm down, I’m going to run through it all, because despite how embarrassed and awkward you may feel discussing and showing your genitalia to a complete stranger, it’s important.
We left off with you in a scratchy paper gown and your doctor probably being late. So the gynecologist finally shows up, introduces themselves, and then proceeds to ask you a series of questions. These questions range from everything from your sex life, your medical history, your family’s medical history, whether you use condoms or not, but no matter what, it’s important to answer honestly and thoroughly. This means doing your homework. Get a good grip on your own history and your family’s, recall important dates, such as when you got your first period, and write down any questions you might have for your doctor. This isn’t a one way street, and you might forget what you wanted to ask if you’re nervous. And don’t be embarrassed about your questions - doctors, especially gynecologists, don’t judge.
After all the questions have been asked and answered, the visit continues the way your average doctor appointments have: they measure your blood pressure, your pulse, your weight, they listen to your lungs and heart. It’s then that the exams can begin. Depending on a few things, like whether it’s your first time or whether you’ve reported any concerns, your doctor will perform different tests. However, they almost always begin with a breast exam to check for lumps and any other irregularities. Oftentimes, your doctor will teach you how to perform a self-examination.
Then the time has come. You lay on back and put your spread legs in the stirrups that have been staring at you since you walked into the exam room. If this position makes you embarrassed, you can ask to have a sheet draped over your bottom half or even for a chaperone to be present. For a first time visit, gynecologists, in general, do a simple external test where they look at the outside of the vagina, or the vulva, for any signs of irritation. They might even insert a (gloved and lubricated) finger into your vagina for less than ten seconds, just to make sure everything feels normal. Also, this shouldn’t hurt. It might feel weird, or invasive, or uncomfortable, but if it hurts, tell your doctor.
Things get a little hairier when the internal pelvic exam comes down the road. Most women get a pelvic exam when they’re about twenty-one years old, which involves inserting a speculum into the vagina, which separates the vaginal walls and allows the gynecologist to look inside for any anomalies. While this instrument looks similar to a medieval torture device, in all honesty, the worst part about the speculum is that it’s cold. And above all, remember - it shouldn't hurt. It will feel cold and you might feel some pressure, but if it hurts, tell your doctor, and they will adjust it accordingly.
Then the time has come. You lay on back and put your spread legs in the stirrups that have been staring at you since you walked into the exam room. If this position makes you embarrassed, you can ask to have a sheet draped over your bottom half or even for a chaperone to be present. For a first time visit, gynecologists, in general, do a simple external test where they look at the outside of the vagina, or the vulva, for any signs of irritation. They might even insert a (gloved and lubricated) finger into your vagina for less than ten seconds, just to make sure everything feels normal. Also, this shouldn’t hurt. It might feel weird, or invasive, or uncomfortable, but if it hurts, tell your doctor.
Things get a little hairier when the internal pelvic exam comes down the road. Most women get a pelvic exam when they’re about twenty-one years old, which involves inserting a speculum into the vagina, which separates the vaginal walls and allows the gynecologist to look inside for any anomalies. While this instrument looks similar to a medieval torture device, in all honesty, the worst part about the speculum is that it’s cold. And above all, remember - it shouldn't hurt. It will feel cold and you might feel some pressure, but if it hurts, tell your doctor, and they will adjust it accordingly.
What can sometimes come next are two words many women dread: pap smear. Not only does this name provide zero information as to the nature of the procedure, but it also sounds disgusting. But for all the negative hype about it, a pap smear is simply when gynecologist is looking for abnormalities and they use a cotton swab to swipe the cervix in order to test for cervical cancer and, if you ask your doctor, STIs.
After this, your doctor will probably discuss the results of the exams with you and ask if you have any more questions. And then it’s over.
Remember, none of this - the undressing, the questioning, the breast exam, the stirrups, the clinical fingering, the speculum, the pap smear - is done to hurt you. It’s not even done to make you feel uncomfortable, even though it probably will. The purpose of every gynecology appointment is to make sure you are healthy. Which is what this all boils down to.
If you had questions about heart disease, you’d go to a cardiologist. If you needed glasses, you’d go to an optometrist. If you were a child, you’d go to a pediatrician. So if you have questions about pregnancy or vaginal infections, go to a gynecologist. If you need birth control, go to a gynecologist. If you are woman, generally, go to a gynecologist. The lady doctor exists to help you understand and live with your vagina, a complex and intimidating sex organ. The most important thing is that you’re at ease with your gynecologist, and you’re comfortable during your appointments.
Above all, relax. It sounds impossible to do, but it’ll make the exams go smoother and it will facilitate a better relationship with you and your gynecologist, as well as with you and your vagina. This is about more than being healthy - it’s about being comfortable with your body. And that might be what matters most.
Madeline Poage is a WLP major from New Jersey. When she was little, she wanted to be a professional ghost hunter. She's a Virgo, enjoys long walks on the beach, and enjoys poking dead things with a stick. You can find Madeline on Twitter.
Sources:
http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/annual-gynecological-exams-what-expect
https://www.acponline.org/eBizATPRO/images/ProductImages/books/sample%20chapters/PractGyn2_ch01.pdf
Images:
Women's Health Mag, ahchealthfiles.com, sarahgrayce.files.wordpress.com
After this, your doctor will probably discuss the results of the exams with you and ask if you have any more questions. And then it’s over.
Remember, none of this - the undressing, the questioning, the breast exam, the stirrups, the clinical fingering, the speculum, the pap smear - is done to hurt you. It’s not even done to make you feel uncomfortable, even though it probably will. The purpose of every gynecology appointment is to make sure you are healthy. Which is what this all boils down to.
If you had questions about heart disease, you’d go to a cardiologist. If you needed glasses, you’d go to an optometrist. If you were a child, you’d go to a pediatrician. So if you have questions about pregnancy or vaginal infections, go to a gynecologist. If you need birth control, go to a gynecologist. If you are woman, generally, go to a gynecologist. The lady doctor exists to help you understand and live with your vagina, a complex and intimidating sex organ. The most important thing is that you’re at ease with your gynecologist, and you’re comfortable during your appointments.
Above all, relax. It sounds impossible to do, but it’ll make the exams go smoother and it will facilitate a better relationship with you and your gynecologist, as well as with you and your vagina. This is about more than being healthy - it’s about being comfortable with your body. And that might be what matters most.
Madeline Poage is a WLP major from New Jersey. When she was little, she wanted to be a professional ghost hunter. She's a Virgo, enjoys long walks on the beach, and enjoys poking dead things with a stick. You can find Madeline on Twitter.
Sources:
http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/annual-gynecological-exams-what-expect
https://www.acponline.org/eBizATPRO/images/ProductImages/books/sample%20chapters/PractGyn2_ch01.pdf
Images:
Women's Health Mag, ahchealthfiles.com, sarahgrayce.files.wordpress.com