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What happens during the genital exam
I need a physical in November and I'm really nervous about the female portions of the exam, like breast and genital examination. Like, I just turned 18 and switched for a pediatritian to an adult doctor. Will it be a more in depth physical now? I have so many questions like, what happens during the genital exam? Will the doctor touch me down there or just look? I'm a virgin will she do a pelvic exam? Will she feel around inside my vagina? How long will it take? If anyone can answer any of my questions or just describe step by step their own experiences I would really appreciate it.
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I've never been asked to pee in a cup for a standard gyn exam, only when I was pregnant. Maybe each doc has her own process, but don't be worried if your exam varies a bit from these descriptions.
Hi, Kiara. A gyno visit goes like this: 1) Pee in a cup. 2) Go to the exam room and take off all your clothes and put on a hospital gown. 3) When the doctor arrives, she will talk to you about your menses, if you are sexually active, and if you have any problems with your vagina. 4) You will lay on an exam table and the doctor will do a breast exam by pressing around each breast in circles to check for lumps. 5) As you lay down, you will put your feet in a set of 'stirrups' that come out of the end of the exam table. You will have to relax and open your legs. 6) The doctor will look at your vagina, and do an internal exam. This is not painful, just uncomfortable. She will take a swab of your vaginal fluids for a 'pap smear' , which will be examined for abnormalities. That's all. Most women hate this. I know I do, but I am a different case because I was sexually abused, I cannot have the exam unless very sedated first, otherwise I become impossible to work with. My gyno will prescribe me ONE sedative to take before my appt, and I have to have someone else drive. I usually take my husband or my mother, and they come into the exam room with me, as they can comfort me while the exam is done. You can have a close person in the exam with you as well. Or you can request a female nurse be with you. I hope this helps. - Blu
It is quite possible that you will not have a pelvic exam since you are not yet 21, but if you do, the above gives a very good and detailed explanation of what to expect. It's not pleasant if you do get a PAP, and even the pelvic examination could be a little unpleasant if you have never done anything yourself down there, but remember to breathe and focus on relaxing as it will make it far more comfortable. Be sure to STRESS that you are a virgin if your doctor deems it necessary to do a pelvic examination of any sort. Most doctors (I highly recommend a female for this reason.) will put extra lube and be gentler to compensate.
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The doc and nurse (it's OK to have both in the room if you want) will then have you lie back on the table and put your feet in the stirrups, and they'll use an instrument called a speculum, which is a rounded metal or plastic thing that looks sort of like a garlic press but is designed to open you up, not close down. They will usually warm it with water so it is not too bracingly cold, and often put some lubricant on it, and it slips into your vagina and then she operates it in such a way that it opens the vagina. An equivalent would be if you had something put into your mouth to move it from closed to open. It's not painful, but it is not particularly comfortable either. She needs the vagina to be open so she can look into it and see your cervix at the back end of your vagina. She will then insert a thing that looks like a Q-tip on a longer stick, and take a sample of the cells at the cervix, and will pull that out and put it (Q-tip and the cells on it) into a vial to send to the lab. Congratulations!! You have just had your first pap smear!
They then slide out the speculum. If your doctor does a manual exam, (which could be before or after using the speculum), it will be to put her gloved finger or fingers in your vagina and to press with her other hand on the stomach, so she can feel the muscles between her hands. After the exam is done, the doc or nurse will give you something to wipe the lube off with, and give you a few minutes to change back to your regular clothes. Some docs are done at that point, some come back to talk to you and answer any questions.
Since you are a virgin, please be sure to say to the doctor that if she has more than one speculum size, you would appreciate the smallest one. That makes the whole process noticeably more comfortable. Breathe deeply and try to keep your legs relaxed, if you clench up your vagina (obviously a natural reaction in the circumstances) it can make things kind of painful. Things that help: remember that the whole thing takes only about five minutes, and you will need this important exam all your life to be sure of your vaginal health. Also the doctor has seen a bazillion vaginas in her career, only ones with something unusual stand out. You will not stick in her mind in any particularly awkward way unless you shriek and run out of the room with the crackly paper trailing after you when she walks in. (I'm sure that has happened, too, so maybe even that would not make you entirely memorable on the awkwardness scale.) If you really, really think you will be wildly nervous, you could call the doctor's office and ask for a Vallium to take beforehand. While having the exam, distract yourself by imagining her reaction if you *had* run down the hall when she came into the room, it will make you giggle to yourself and that will help you relax.
As a result of a pelvic, you can locate early and get treated for: bacterial infections, warts, std's (though as a virgin it is unlikely for you to have one of those), yeast infections, hpv, and any kind of unusual musculature issues. You can ask the doctor questions about your period and when and how it comes (you might track the last few periods and show her the chart). You can find out about prevention of std's, and of unwanted pregnancy also. It's all good.