This one is for the ladies. We suggest that men with weak stomachs put this down and enjoy your ignorance unless you're willing to learn a lot more about the women you know and love. No one really wants to talk about them (let alone have to go through them), but gynecological exams are an important part of women's health. The horrors of a doctor poking around down there have become common material in movies and television. I'm supposed to let some random person just go exploring down there? Excuse me? Sounds pretty awful.
In reality, it's nothing like the traumatic depictions you may have seen on television. Getting your lady parts checked out to make sure they're in working order is an incredibly important part of female healthcare and sexual health. Here's what you should expect at a pelvic exam. Prepare yourself for the not so scary "horrors" of being a lady.
The pelvic exam is pretty simple. Basically, the doctor will examine both internal and external parts of your reproductive system, including the vulva, cervix, vagina, ovaries and all the other exciting stuff you're hiding up there. He or she will be looking for signs of injury or infection or other conditions that may need treatment. Summary: They're making sure it's all good under the hood.
Need a play by play? We can't give you the exact details since we're not all going to the same gynecologist. What we can offer you is a basic summary of what is typically involved in a routine gynecological exam. Your doctor will introduce himself or herself, ask you about yourself, your medical history and why you made an appointment. He or she will give you a moment to get into a gown and put a sheet over your lady parts. You will lie on the table with your knees bent and supported by stirrups. Most likely, your doctor will begin by examining the external and then move to the internal, checking the inside of your vagina (with gloves on, of course). Speculums, the duckbill−shaped things your doctor may use, tend to feel really cold. It shouldn't be unbearably painful or anything, but it definitely isn't a very common or comfortable feeling. The speculum spreads the vaginal walls so that the doctor can examine the inside of your vagina and your cervix. Your doctor may perform a pap smear, which involves using a small brush or spatula to collect some cells from the cervix to test for infections. Your doctor may perform another exam by inserting two fingers into your vagina while pressing his or her other hand on your abdomen, allowing him or her to feel abnormalities that are brought toward the surface of your abdomen with his or her other hand.
This whole exam shouldn't take longer than about 10 minutes, unless the doctor finds something he or she would like to investigate further. After the doctor is done, you will most likely be given a washcloth to wash up. You can then get dressed and will have an opportunity to ask your doctor any questions you might have.
Remember that this obviously isn't the first pelvic exam your doctor has performed. They will not think your pelvic area is weird, gross or horrifying. Think of how many of these exams they've done before. Also, this exam benefits you! You can tell the doctor to stop or to explain anything they are doing at any time. They are here to help you and to make sure you are healthy. Relax. There are no risks to a pelvic exam. The healthier you are down there, the more you can enjoy getting it on!
Happy Halloween hookups, y'all!
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Alison Williams is a sophomore majoring in English, and Sarah Gottlieb is a sophomore majoring in psychology. Williams can be reached at Alison.Williams@tufts.edu and Gottlieb can be reached at Sarah.Gottlieb@tufts.edu.
