Biopsy

Dear Dr. Rockoff,
About7 months I had PROTECTED sex with a male friend.  I have been in a monogomouus relations for some time. I had noticed a small bump in my outer pubic area and went to PP. I have a regular GYN doc of 10 years but was too embarrased to go.  I have several skin tags on my body, underm arms, eye brow, including my genital area. After being examined, the bump of my initial concern was excluded, however the nurse did noticed several skin tags and bumps and suggested I have one of the PP doc's do a biopsy. There were two small bumps on the right outer labia that did not mirror the left.

I immediately went to my reg gyn doc and told him of my concern. He examined me and told me the skigs tags like the others on my body are common for people of color and also my age 45+. The bumps/tags looks likes the normal growth of my labia area. He thought no biopsy was necessary.

I don't what to do now...What are they looking for in a biopsy? Will it biopsy diagnose warts, cancer or what? If I sound worried...I am. Should I have it done to ease my mind? I talked to male friend, he said no problem with him...You bet I won't do that sgain. Please write soon, I suppose to go next week. Thank you.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I can't even think of any dangerous growth which could have come from your sexual encounter.  Warts take much longer to appear.  If you are prone to skin tags, that's by far the most likely diagnosis--your anxiety no doubt causes you to look harder.  A biopsy means a sampling of tissue.  This can be to look for cancer, but not by any means necessarily.  I would rely on the judgment of an experienced gynecologist to decode whether a growth needs to be biopsied or can just be left alone and observed.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff