Gynecological examination can be a routine checkup for women or an evaluation of a specific problem to get a diagnostic picture of an illness. Routine examinations are usually done annually on women who are in their childbearing years to foresee the possibility of having cervical cancer and other related ailments.

Going to an obstetrician or gynecologist is not only for pregnant women. Generally, women can go for gynecological exam as early as eighteen years old or as the need arises. A pelvic examination and a Pap smear is the typical tests once you make an appointment with a gynecologist, but it can also include the following:

1) Urine cultures
 
2) Wet mount
 
3) Mammogram

First Gynecological Exam

When girls are planning to have sex or have started having sex or even those who are not sexually active yet, they can start going for gynecological examination. Even when below eighteen, girls can also seek gynecological care if there are abnormal symptoms or discharges in the vaginal area. If going for an appointment for the first time, here are some important factors to take note:

Schedule the appointment during the middle part of the menstrual cycle to make sure that the uterus has not shed cells yet.
 
There should be no sexual intercourse or douching two days prior to the visit and nothing should be put to the vagina such as tampons or fingers to avoid abnormal result of Pap smear.
 
If there is a need for someone to be with you during the examination, make sure that you have properly informed the doctor so as not to violate existing  policies.
 
Write down questions you may want to ask and symptoms you may have been experieincing.

Before the Examination

Before the doctor starts the examination, you may be required to submit a urine sample to check for pregnancy or urinary tract infections. Having an empty bladder during the examination can avoid any feelings of discomfort along the process. The doctor may then start taking the medical history, which would include the family’s history of cancer, operations, hospitalizations, and past and current medications.

During the Examination

A thorough physical examination is the first thing that the doctor would do, including checking the breasts for any abnormality. Then you would be asked to lie down with both legs placed in thestirrups and knees opened. This is now the time for the examination of the vulva and the pelvic floor muscles. There are two more examinations that may be done:

a) Speculum Examination to collect cervical cells for the Pap smear.
 
b) Bimanual Examination to feel the size of the uterus, check the cervix for pain, the size of the ovaries, and look for abnormalities.

After the Examination

The doctor will now discuss the result of the examination including the tests that have immediate results. If there are infections or any serious conditions diagnosed, a prescribed treatment is then recommended and you may be asked to come back for examination.