5 Reasons You Should Have An Annual Gynecological Exam

Regular gynecological exams are an important part of maintaining overall health and wellness for women of all ages. Here are 5 key reasons why you should schedule an annual gynecological exam, even if you feel healthy and have no specific concerns.

  1. Maintenance of your health

A GYN exam is different from a Pap test, but it does include the latter if you wish to get it as well. A GYN exam is useful in that it can proceed with screening for any abnormalities you may have in your body.

The parts that are typically examined under a GYN exam are the cervix, vagina, uterus and ovaries. Your doctor will also check the breasts and pelvis for any problems.

Getting a GYN exam is useful for the prevention of more serious problems and it doesn’t even need to be taken very often.

Women above the age of 21 and under 65 are only required to get a GYN exam once every three years, provided their test results came out negative.

However, if one test has ever shown some abnormalities, then a GYN exam once a year would be recommended to ensure recovery and health maintenance.

  1. Screening and prevention of STI

As mentioned above, a GYN exam screens for any abnormalities and then seek to prevent them.

During your GYN exam, you can also get useful advice from your doctor on how best to manage a lifestyle that would ensure your health.

Meanwhile, if you so happen to have an STI or STD, early detection through the screening could prevent further damage to your body.

With early detection, treatment can be more effective and recovery more successful. You need to know that some STDs when left untreated, could lead to infertility and in some severe cases can even be life-threatening.

When your screen for STIs during a GYN exam, your gynaecologist will take your blood sample to check for certain antibodies. A GYN exam screening includes common STIs like genital herpes, HIV, and syphilis.

Sometimes, a pelvic exam (using gloved, lubricated fingers) can also be done.

According to Mayo Clinic, the primary aim of STI screenings is to detect and treat infections before complications develop and to identify, test, and treat sexual partners to prevent the spread and recurrence of infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend at least an annual HIV test for those at high risk of contracting the infection.

  1. Preconception counselling

Getting pregnant is not always an easy thing for a lot of women. Likewise, being pregnant also comes with a great deal of responsibility and your health needs to be a top priority.

To ensure a healthy pregnancy, it is important that you plan ahead carefully with preconception counselling. During preconception counselling, your OB/GYN will guide you through healthy lifestyle steps to prepare you for pregnancy.

Darin Swainston, MD, FACOG emphasizes the significance of preconception counseling as a crucial aspect of reproductive health. This counseling empowers women to make well-informed choices about their reproductive health and family planning. Through health-promoting education and guidance before conception, preconception counseling aims to maximize the chances of a healthy, complication-free pregnancy, and a joyful experience of welcoming a baby into the world.

But the most important things are the screening and tests to see if you will have problems with getting pregnant and during pregnancy.

And if you do have specific challenges, your OB/GYN will be able to provide treatment and/or prevention before you get pregnant. Common ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, and even mental disorders will be checked during a GYN exam.

This will all provide healthy measurements to ensure a healthy pregnancy so that your foetus/baby has a chance for survival and can grow well.

  1. Diagnosis of pelvic pains

A lot of women can deal with pelvic pains; however, the source of pelvic pains is not always clear. For one, almost 80% of women regularly experience pelvic pains during menstruation and this is usually not a great source of concern.

Be that as it may, some women do experience extreme pains during menstruation that they are prevented from doing daily activities. Such pains are not normal and need to be checked.

Meanwhile, there can also be times women experience pelvic pains even when they are not menstruating. In any case, chronic pelvic pains need serious attention because you could be suffering from very serious health issues.

Getting a GYN exam can help you determine the source of your pelvic pains. When you get a proper diagnosis, the right treatment can be administered immediately so you cease to struggle on a daily basis.

As per Contemporary OB/GYN, accurately diagnosing pelvic pain is crucial for its appropriate treatment. To determine the cause of pelvic pain, the gynecologist gathers the patient's history related to the pain and conducts a thorough examination. During the initial visit, a vaginal probe ultrasound scan is often performed, which can reveal underlying causes of pain that might otherwise remain undetected. This comprehensive approach aids in identifying and addressing the specific factors contributing to pelvic pain effectively.

You may need to see more than one specialist if you have multiple health issues that cause pelvic pains.

  1. Addressing menstrual problems

You may be concerned about not being able to get a GYN exam during your period. Meanwhile, you may think you need help right now because your period is very painful. Well, did you know?

You can indeed get a GYN exam on your period. It’s no problem at all. Your OB/GYN will simply ask you to go to the bathroom to remove any menstrual product you’re using before the GYN exam begins.

If you are experiencing chronic pains or any other abnormalities during your period, it is a good idea to make a quick visit to your trusted OB/GYN.

This is because the source of your pain and discomfort may be more serious than you think. And so, getting early detection will get you a more effective treatment to resolve the issue.

At any rate, you should tell your examiner that you’re currently menstruating. This is necessary information and will not disrupt the exam at all.

To summarize, annual gynecological exams are relevant and necessary to ensure a healthy uterus and proper vaginal health and hygiene. We hope these reasons help you understand the significance of annual gynecological exams and why you should have them.


Find The Right Solution For Low Female Libido Causes And Recharge Your Love Life

Healthy family life is a dream for all couples. The number of women who are in trouble due to low female libido causes is increasing nowadays.

All the low female libido causes can be treated well if you have an idea about the cause behind it. First, you need to realize the reason behind the low sexual drive and then you can go for treatment. In each and every female, the cause of low libido is varying from one person to another.

Some Important Factors

There are some factors that cause the female libido to be reduced or impaired. They are given below:

Common Causes

Most common causes of a low sexual drive in the female are

Anxiety: Anxiety is closely related to your sexual emotions. According to the level of your anxiety and reason, you will have a strain on your romantic life.

Depression: It is playing a very big role in our personal love life. When it is only a minor one, which lasts for a few days, then you can solve it. Otherwise, when it is a classical one, which is a mental depression, you need to treat it carefully. If not, you feel always a low libido.

Pregnancy: During pregnancy, your entire body conditions and emotions will get changed. So, there is a decrease or increase in sexual desire. Psychologically, women will be conscious about the baby’s health, which leads to low female libido.

Menopause: Premature menopause is a common problem, which affects most of the women. Ovaries start to produce less estrogen and thus there is a low sexual desire, dry vagina and also emotional changes.

Stress: It is a big problem creator in love life. Stress due to some financial or work issues will haunt your mind and body. This, in turn, will lead to low sexual drive.

Psychological And Physical Causes

There are psychological and physical forms of low female libido causes. From the above, the psychological causes are stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, childhood history, lack of affection from partner and more.

Some physical low female libido causes are low testosterone levels, endocrine illness, obesity, painful intercourse, antipsychotic drugs or medication, pregnancy and childbirth, anemia or low stamina and iatrogenic conditions.

Treat The Cause Instead Of Treating The Person

Low female libido causes can be corrected when you are on the right track. For having a successful result, you need to treat the real cause behind your problem. If not, the result will not be permanent and not that successful. Treat the cause of low female sexual drive and make your romantic personal life more successful.