What’s a pelvic exam ?

Question

I’m going to the doctors today and they said they were going to give me a pelvic exam?

Answer

A pelvic exam is where the doctor sticks 2 fingers into your vagina. They will press down on the outside with their opposite hand in order to feel your ovaries and tubes. They check for several things: placement, relative size,  looking for growths, etc. These are done yearly usually in conjunction with a breast exam to feel for lumps. 
The pap smear is done every 2-3 years now. It used to be done yearly and some Drs still do. That is where they insert a speculum inside your vagina and "crank" it open to see your cervix. They will then use what looks like a q-tip and a small brush to wipe around your cervical opening. Those will be sent off to the lab to test for gonorrhea, chlymidia, markers for cancer, and a panel of other tests. 
Lots of people get these confused or think of them as one in the same but they are actually 2 different exams that happen to overlap every couple of years.

What’s a pelvic exam ?

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