Tundraco's Daily Living Guide to Health Your Yearly Gynecological Checkup

• Don't douche, use a spermicide, or any vaginal lubricants for a few days before the exam.
• It is recommended that you refrain from intercourse the night before.
• Do bathe.
• Write down a list of all your questions and the date of your last menstrual cycle.

A basic gynecological exam will consist of the doctor taking a complete medial history followed by pelvic, rectal, and breast exams.

The Pelvic Exam:

This exam is preformed while you are laying prone on an examination table with your knees bent, legs spread apart, and your feet resting in stirrups. The doctor will examine your vulva. Then, using a speculum to spread the interior walls of the vagina, the doctor will examine you internally.

At this point a Pap test will be preformed. The doctor will use a swap to scrap off a few cells from your cervix. These will be submitted to a testing lab for analysis.

• If your Pap smear is abnormal, you will need to have another Pap test taken in order to determine if the test results were accurate. If this test is also abnormal, a colposcopy and a biopsy will be performed. Both these tests can be done in your doctor's office and will help to determine if you have a serious problem. If there is a problem, these tests are used to determine if it is potentially a cancerous or precancerous condition.

Next, the doctor will remove the speculum and insert two fingers in order to feel your ovaries and uterus.

When the pelvic exam is completed, the doctor will insert a finger into the rectum in order to feel for polyps and to determine if the uterus is in the correct position. A stool sample will also be tested for the presence of blood. The presence of blood in the stool can be an indicator of a problem in the bowels or of a cancerous condition.

The doctor will feel your breasts for lumps. If a lump is detected, a small biopsy will be preformed to determine if it is benign or cancerous.

• If you do not know how to perform a self-breast exam, ask your doctor to show you how.

Your annual checkup offers you a chance to discuss birth control options with your doctor. If you are having any difficulty using, or tolerating, your current method, be sure to mention this. Ask your doctor to explain the various methods, their effectiveness, and possible side effects. Remember, no matter how conscientious you are about the use of your chosen method of birth control – no method is 100% fail proof. If you think you may be pregnant, speak to your doctor immediately. Some birth control medicines can cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy

• The birth control pill if by far the most favored method of birth control. It is easy to take, and when taken correctly, 99% effective. However, oral contraceptives are not for everyone. If you smoke, are over 35 years of age, or have circulatory problems, ask your doctor if you should use another form of birth control.

• The male condom is the most widely used barrier method. Used correctly, a condom can be 88% effective in preventing pregnancy. In addition, with proper use, a condom can help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, especially when used in conjunction with a spermicide.

Other methods available include,

• Spermicides
• Female condom
• Diaphragm
• Cervical cap
• Sponge
• Depo-Provera
• Norplant
• IUD
• Abstinence
• Sterilization

One of the scariest things that your doctor can ever tell you is that you have cancer. However, with early detection and prompt treatment your chances of survival are greatly increased.

Therefore, it is tremendously important that you have an annual Pap test and that you perform a self-breast exam every month.

• If you have any unusual bleeding, pain, or if you simply have a gut feeling that something is not right – go and see your doctor immediately!