pelvic exams

[sandra]

i think once you hit 18 or something, you're supposed to get one every other year. i've had 2 in my life--i skipped a couple of years...

not to scare anybody, but i personally think they're painful. just thinking about them makes me squirm. the *entire hand* of the doctor goes inside you. *squirm*.

i've only had female doctors. would any of you feel comfortable with a male doctor doing this? (like csb... :lol: )

[amietron]

what do they do to you?
my current doctor is male.
all have been, since i was a kid.

[kimpossible]

I *hate* them but I get them very regularly. The worst is that speculum. They act like it's so natural to be cranked open like that. I'm always afraid I'm going to snap it in half -- or shoot it across the room. :lol:

Yeah, it hurts even though they say it shouldn't hurt. I used to be a fan of male GYNs because they seemed to be a bit gentler, but now I have a great female doc.

The whole hand? :blink:

Good god, I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't fit in me, or if it did I'd need a cigarette after.

But do it!! My sis only found cysts on her ovaries through regular exams.

[amietron]

okay, now that i re-read the thing more carefully, i get what you're talking about. i'm scared, guys. :(

i don't want anyone's hands stuck up me. i'm not cool with that.

[sandra]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Sep 27 2002, 03:16 AM
I *hate* them but I get them very regularly. The worst is that speculum. They act like it's so natural to be cranked open like that. I'm always afraid I'm going to snap it in half -- or shoot it across the room.  :lol:

yeh, for those of you who haven't gotten one, they have to use this metal thing (the speculum) to slowly open up your vagina so that they can insert their hand/fingers/etc. during my first exam, they caught a bit of my skin into it so it hurt a lot more than it should have. if this ever happens, *speak up*--your skin is not supposed to feel like it's being pinched.





<!--EDIT|kasia|Sep 27 2002, 07:41 AM-->

[sandra]

okay, i guess it wasn't her whole hand--just two fingers--but she sure had fat fingers!

*********************************************

The Pelvic Exam
Next, the doctor or nurse practitioner will again ask you to lie down on your back and move down so your behind is at the end of the table. You'll bend your knees and pick up and rest your feet in two stirrups, which are metal triangular loops that stick out from the end of the table.

Stirrups might look a little scary, but they are really just there to rest your feet in and keep you more comfortable. The doctor or nurse practitioner will ask you to relax your knees out to the sides as far as they will go. It might feel a little funny at first to be lying there with your legs opened like this, but it's important to relax and remember that millions of women have these exams every year.

The doctor or nurse practitioner will put on gloves and examine the outside of your vagina. He or she will look to make sure that there are no sores or swelling and that everything looks OK on the outside.

Next, the doctor or nurse practitioner will want to look at the inside of your vagina and will do so with the help of a speculum (pronounced: speck-you-lumm). A speculum is a thin piece of plastic or metal with a hinged piece on one end that allows it to open and close (think of a hair clip). He or she will warm the speculum with water, and then slide the speculum into your vagina. Usually the doctor or nurse practitioner will tell you that he or she is about to place speculum inside you and will warn you that it might feel a little cold.

Once the speculum is in the vagina, it can be opened to allow the doctor to see inside. Putting in and opening the speculum isn't painful, although some women say that it can cause a bit of pressure. Naturally, if you've never had a doctor investigating that area before, you might get a little tense. But because the vagina is surrounded by muscles that can contract or relax, it's important to stay calm.

If you feel like you're tensing up the muscles in your vagina, try breathing deeply or doing some breathing exercises to help you stay relaxed. Sometimes humming your favorite song or making small talk with the doctor or nurse practitioner can distract you from the pressure. Concentrate on keeping the muscles in the lower half of your body as relaxed as possible.

After the speculum is in place, the doctor or nurse practitioner will shine a light inside the vagina to look for anything unusual, like inflammation (redness or swelling), discharge, or sores. He or she will then do a Pap smear, which is the taking of some cells from the cervix. The cervix is the opening to the uterus, which is located at the very top of the vagina. To do a Pap smear, the doctor or nurse practitioner uses what looks like a very long mascara wand to gently scrape the inside of the cervix. This doesn't hurt at all; some women say they feel a little twinge, but it only lasts a second.

The cells that have been collected are sent to a laboratory where they are studied for any abnormal cells, which might indicate infection or warning signs of cervical cancer. (Like breast cancer, cervical cancer is very unusual in teen girls.)

If you are sexually active, the doctor or nurse practitioner will then test for STDs. He or she will swab the inside of the cervix with what looks like a cotton swab. The speculum is then slid out of the vagina. As with the Pap smear, the sample is sent out to a laboratory where it is tested for various STDs.

Next, the doctor or nurse practitioner will want to check out your uterus and ovaries. But because they are so far inside you they can't be seen at all, even with the speculum, he or she will need to feel them. While your feet are still in the stirrups, the doctor or nurse practitioner will put lubricant on two fingers (while still wearing the gloves) and slide them inside your vagina. Using the other hand, he or she will press on the outside of your lower abdomen (the area between your vagina and your stomach). With two hands, one on the outside and one on the inside, the doctor or nurse practitioner can make sure that the ovaries and uterus are the right size and free of cysts or other growths.

During this part of the exam, you may feel a little pressure or a twinge or two, but it isn't painful. Again, it's important to relax your muscles and take slow, deep breaths if you feel nervous.

[mrazntre]

d00d. i just read all that. i wuntz to pEwK. :blink:

descriptive medical exams make you wanna become celibate.

[amietron]

Originally posted by mrazntre@Sep 27 2002, 12:52 AM
d00d. i just read all that. i wuntz to pEwK. :blink:

descriptive medical exams make you wanna become celibate.

shut up, tre. at least you won't ever have to experience any of that. friggn eyyy. sick. gawwd. barf barf barf. <_<

[Arex]

Originally posted by mrazntre@Sep 27 2002, 01:52 AM
d00d. i just read all that. i wuntz to pEwK. :blink:

descriptive medical exams make you wanna become celibate.

For reals... I'm sorry I ever clicked on this topic.=P Man, I feel for you women... :(

Alex

[deez nuts]

Gah make it stop! The nightmares of ob/gyn rotations relived! One lady farted on me, as in let one ripped, when I was doing the exam in med school. I was so trying not to laugh.

Lol Kasia, whole hand (fisting is a different type of exam, dear) and lol you got pinched <comfort>.

But yeah, like the lawyer lady said, it's ideal to get a full pelvic exam once every other year, after 15-18. And once a year ideally, once you're over 40 or 50. It'll help in early detection and possible prevention of cervical cancer as well as finding ovarian cysts, infections ie urinary tract infections etc etc.

Thank god, I only did a full pelvic exams twice in my life. It was too traumatic for me. I think the patient was more relaxed than I was. It's not one of those med school experiences, I would not choose to cherish, remember or relive.

Kasia, I don't do gynocological exams, anymore, and haven't for years (Thank God!). I cut people open and sew them back up! However, I am willing to do it for the women of YW and ensure their personal well-being. **Puts on latex gloves** so ummmm who's gonna be first to get up and lay down on the stirrups. :blink:



<!--EDIT|Chasiubao_Boy|Sep 27 2002, 05:40 PM-->

[artsfartsyjanet]

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Sep 27 2002, 08:14 AM
Gah make it stop! The nightmares of ob/gyn rotations relived! One lady farted on me, as in let one ripped, when I was doing the exam in med school. I was so trying not to laugh.

hahaahah......

Ah, that's what you get for studying medicine. =) jk...
I always wonder what male or female ob/gyn are thinking when they're examining...how objective can one be? lol.... My ob/gyn said, "ah...very nice" when she took a piece of flesh out of me. I was so petrified... it feels so weird stickign your feet up on those metal thingamajigs.... Plus, I had a witness look at me from behind the one helping me. :blink: :huh: I hate pelvic exams.

[SunWuKong]

ok as soon as i read the word "cysts" in HH's post i stopped reading.

good luck everybody! :lol:

[sandra]

Originally posted by artsfartsyjanet@Sep 27 2002, 01:59 PM
My ob/gyn said, "ah...very nice" when she took a piece of flesh out of me.

why did she take a piece of flesh out of you?? flesh or part of an organ? did it hurt???

on the flip side, as csb said, these exams will ensure that you are healthy and detect cancer early...so let's continue getting 'em. :)

[artsfartsyjanet]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 27 2002, 11:25 AM

why did she take a piece of flesh out of you?? flesh or part of an organ? did it hurt???

on the flip side, as csb said, these exams will ensure that you are healthy and detect cancer early...so let's continue getting 'em. :)

ok maybe it wasn't a pelvic exam. That's how clueless I am to these things..... Or was it a Pap smear test? I got the whole nine yards aside from a pelvic exam. I took a blood test and so forth.... It was not fun.



<!--EDIT|artsfartsyjanet|Sep 27 2002, 11:31 AM-->

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 27 2002, 02:54 AM
i think once you hit 18 or something, you're supposed to get one every other year. i've had 2 in my life--i skipped a couple of years...

not to scare anybody, but i personally think they're painful. just thinking about them makes me squirm. the *entire hand* of the doctor goes inside you. *squirm*.

i've only had female doctors. would any of you feel comfortable with a male doctor doing this? (like csb... :lol: )

When you're 16, actually, I think.

It's not that bad. Just a little uncomfortable. I get a full exam like once a year and a pap smear every 3-6 months (cuz I'm just responsible like that..hehe).

They never put their *entire hand* in me before. And every time I got it done was with a female doctor. But my abortion doctor was male.

Anyway, seriously, it's not bad at all. Just a little weird to be butt naked under a little piece of paper with some stranger poking around down there. And the table thing and stirrups are always all cold. *Shiver* But that's it.