Madeeha Syed

Meeting your gynaecologist for the first time can feel daunting, but going in prepared and armed with knowledge can help you navigate this interaction better

What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your First Gynaecological Exam

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A gynecological or pelvic exam is not painful even though it may feel a little uncomfortable. The doctor will examine your genitalia and may conduct an ultrasound.

What To Expect And How To Prepare For Your First Gynaecological Exam

Overview

The American College of Obstetricians &amp; Gynecologists recommends that your first gynecological exam happens anywhere between ages 13-15. This can help you build this very important relationship and trust with your doctor that will later come in handy when you want to discuss important aspects related to your reproductive health, birth control options or get STD screening for instance. It also helps to spot any irregularity or illness early on.

However, many of us experience our first visit very late in life and reach adulthood by the time. So, after you&rsquo;re done patting yourself on the back for scheduling that much dreaded <a href="https://merisehat.pk/doctors/karachi/?speciality=gynecologist">gynaecologist appointment</a>, your initial <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/anxiety">anxieties </a>may make their way back to you. It can be overwhelming and nerve wrecking and most of us don&rsquo;t know what to expect when going in for your very first gynaecological exam.&nbsp; 
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Tips to prepare

Take someone with you. Make sure this is someone you can trust with your intimate, personal details.&nbsp;

Decide what you are going in for, is it a routine check-up or do you want to sign up for birth control? Are you experiencing irregular or painful periods? Knowing the exact purpose of your visit can help run it efficiently and smoothly.&nbsp;

Write down any questions you might have for your gynaecologist so you don&rsquo;t forget to ask them due to your first-time jitters. Remember, they have heard it all and no question is too stupid to ask when it comes to your health.&nbsp;

Meet with the provider beforehand and make sure you feel comfortable and safe before you go in for an actual exam. Have a conversation about your expectations and anxieties.&nbsp;

Know your past medical and surgical history as well as your relevant family history such as a history of blood clots or breast, ovary and uterine cancer.&nbsp;

Remember the name and dose for any medications you have been prescribed, any supplements (herbal or otherwise) or OTC (over-the-counter) medication you&rsquo;re taking. 
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<h5>Remember Your Immunisation History&nbsp;</h5>

Information about your periods: how old were you when you got your first period? How frequently you get them? Are they painful? How many days do you get your period for?

Pubic hair might be something that you still continue to carry shame around. Remember that your gynaecologist has seen it all and they don&rsquo;t need you to be anything other than what you are.&nbsp; 
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What to Expect

As with a regular doctor&rsquo;s appointment this will include history taking and examination. Let&rsquo;s see what to expect with each step:

After your vitals are taken, your height and weight will be measured. If you have issues with being weighed or feel uncomfortable you can ask the person weighing you to either skip this step or not let you know about your measurements (turn away).

Now, you will be asked all those questions you prepared for! At this point things do get a little personal so, if you&rsquo;re not okay with the person you brought with you, your doctor can ask them to step out. The same is true for any other person present in the room such as a nurse or a medical assistant.&nbsp;

Next, you will be asked if you have any specific gynaecological concerns that you are visiting for or if you&rsquo;re just there for a general check-up. Your gynaecologist will proceed with the next steps based on your answer to this question.&nbsp;

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Yes, you will be asked if you&rsquo;re sexually active and what your orientation might be and thanks to the doctor patient confidentiality you can be honest about this with your doctor.&nbsp;

If it&rsquo;s your first visit to the gynaecologist, you probably don&rsquo;t need a pelvic exam. If you do however, your doctor will ensure you&rsquo;re perfectly comfortable with it before proceeding. You will be given a gown to cover yourself for this. This is the only time you will have to undress in the gynaecologist&rsquo;s office.&nbsp; 
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A pelvic exam entails your gynaecologist taking a look at your vulva and outer pelvic area, then proceeding with a per-vaginal exam. Per-vaginal exams require your doctor to put one hand on your abdomen and insert two fingers inside the vagina to feel your cervix, uterus and ovaries. This is done to make sure everything is healthy and normal and to identify any irregularities. It might be a little uncomfortable at first and you can ask your doctor to stop if it is too painful. However, to reiterate, this isn&rsquo;t really done on first visits.&nbsp;

Your doctor might conduct an ultrasound at this point to better visualise the anatomy. This will usually not be done if nothing abnormal was felt during pelvic exam, if you don&rsquo;t specifically request it or your presenting complain doesn&rsquo;t warrant it.&nbsp;

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If you&rsquo;re 21 or older, you will be offered a pap smear which is done to screen for cervical cancer. A pap smear requires your doctor to insert a speculum to better visualise the cervix following by taking a swab with a soft brush or a flat scraping tool and this sample can be checked later to identify anything abnormal.&nbsp;

Similarly, if you have never gotten the HPV vaccine you can request it at your first visit. The CDC recommends getting the HPV vaccine for all preteens (ages 11 or 12, can also get it at 9 years of age) and people below 26 years of age before the onset of sexual activity. It&rsquo;s not recommended after 26 as most people have been exposed to the virus by then however for people 27-45 years of age you can consult your doctor and proceed according to their instructions.&nbsp;

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If you&rsquo;re anywhere between ages 25-39 and somehow you are landing in the gynaecologist&rsquo;s office for the first time then you also qualify for a breast exam. Knowing how to do a self-breast exam beforehand can be very helpful in making you comfortable with this and this information can be found on the internet.&nbsp;

If you have been sexually active then you will be recommended STI testing. However, note that you don&rsquo;t necessarily need a pelvic exam for this and this can be done with just a urine culture or blood tests.&nbsp;

Be prepared for a follow-up visit and ask your gynaecologist what might help you prepare better for it.&nbsp; 
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Bottom Line

Many of us don&rsquo;t take our sexual and reproductive health seriously until it gets impossible to ignore it. Remember, regular appointments and routine check-ups with your gynaecologist can go a long way in keeping you healthy. We hope all this helps you successfully manoeuvre through your first appointment.&nbsp;