Full Speculum Exam

You may be worried about what your first full speculum exam will include. Not to worry. Most Dr.'s will explain everything before actually doing it to walk you through the exam. A pelvic exam is a good way for your Dr. to examine your female organs and make sure your gynecological system is running efficiently. There is no need to be embarrassed if you keep in mind that gynecologists do this for a living, so they do this on a daily basis and it's just routine examinations for them. You should have your first exam in the first few years after becoming sexually active, or when you turn 21, whichever comes first. If you begin having any problems however you may want to go earlier. Your Dr. will likely begin by asking you to undress and giving you a sheet to put over your waist. He will lift the sheet to examine you, lessening the embarrassment for you. He will start by asking you to slide down to the end of the table and place your feet in two stirrups attached to the table and he will insert a speculum device into your vagina. This is made of metal or plastic, but your Dr. will coat it with KY jelly to make it easier to insert. All the speculum does is open the vagina so he can peer inside without a problem. He will then look inside with a light and see if anything is abnormal and he may insert a finger or two and feel certain areas looking for tumors or lesions of any kind. He will also probe your lower abdomen and see if he feels any masses or swelling. He likely will check the vaginal lips for any abnormalities and while he has the speculum he may use a large cotton swab to swab your cervix and do a pap smear. This is a simple test where they look at the cells from your cervix to see if they detect cancer. If you are experiencing infections or are sexually active, the Dr. may do more tests and swabs. Sometimes you may also receive a rectal exam which consists of the Dr. inserted a gloved finger into your anus and probing gently to see if there are any painful areas. After that, he will ask you to get dressed and send you home and call you with any test results or send them through the mail. http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/pelvicinfo.html