In the past days, many women loved and hated gynecological examinations, but after all, they were mostly afraid, and they didn't go if they could, as if they were dyed with a layer of dim color.
However, with the development of society, everyone's health concept keeps pace with the times, and gynecological examinations are not so rejected, and more and more people put regular gynecological examinations on the agenda. But doctors remind women to pay attention to abstinence before having a gynecological physical examination!
1. Why can't I have sex before having a gynecological examination?
When it comes to gynecological examinations, many women will walk away and ignore them, thinking that I have no sex life, and this has nothing to do with me. But this is really not the case, whether you have sex or not, gynecological examinations are indispensable.
In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women should have their first gynecological check-up between the ages of 13 and 15. This is because many gynaecological diseases, such as ovarian tumors, can be developed even by people who have no sexual life or have no sexual life.
Sex is only one of the causes of gynecological diseases, in addition, such as scratching the private parts with your hands, poor hygiene habits, immature vulva, wrong order of wiping the buttocks, poor resistance, etc., may lead to being targeted by gynecological diseases. At this time, it is necessary to go for a test to determine the specific cause.
For sexually active women, many doctors will remind them to avoid sexual activity for 3 days before undergoing a gynecological examination. The main reason is that it will affect the routine cervical cancer screening.
One of the most affected is the cervical smear, if you have sex beforehand and the sperm is not cleaned, it may block the abnormal cells, which may affect the diagnosis of the disease and cause the disease to be delayed.
Does wearing a condom not affect the result? No, spermicide, lubricating fluid, etc. on condoms can also interfere with the diagnosis, and during sex may cause vaginal wear and tear, affecting the accuracy of the smear results.
Second, there are 4 gynecological examinations for blushing and heartbeat, and women need to know about them
For women who are sexually active, it is best to have a gynecological examination once a year, but if there are abnormal symptoms such as vulvar foreign body, abnormal vaginal discharge, vulvar itching, and irregular menstruation, regardless of whether they are sexually active, they should go for a gynecological examination as soon as possible in order to find out the cause.
There are 4 main types of common gynecological examinations:
1. Gynecological examination
For sexually active women, vaginal speculum examination, vulva examination, or gynecological examination such as bimanual and trimanual examination can be used to check for abnormalities in the vagina, uterus, ovaries, vulva, cervix, fallopian tubes, pelvis and other parts.
2. Vaginal discharge examination
Vaginal discharge examination refers to the routine examination of vaginal discharge, which can be used to find out whether there is vaginal inflammation such as mold, bacteria, and trichomoniasis.
3. Gynecological B-ultrasound
Gynecological ultrasound generally has three types: transabdominal, transvaginal, and transrectal, and women with a history of sexual life can undergo transvaginal ultrasound examination to find endometrial lesions, ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids and other diseases.
4. Cervical cancer screening
Due to the high incidence of cervical cancer, it is advisable for sexually active women aged 21-65 to develop the habit of regular cervical cancer screening. Cervical cytology combined with human papillomavirus (HPV) can be used to detect early lesions and intervene in a timely manner.
Zhang Ning, attending physician of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, said that in addition to the gynecological examination items for women over 40 years old, it is best to add two items: tumor markers and bone density measurement. This is because women over the age of 40 are at an increasing risk of cancer and osteoporosis, and regular check-ups can be detected and treated early.
3. Don't step on any of the 3 misunderstandings about gynecological examinations
According to surveys, only 49 per cent of women have an annual gynecological check-up, and some women have never had a gynecological check-up at all. A large part of this is due to misconceptions about gynecological examinations.
Dr. Yang Hang, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, reminded: Gynecological examination should avoid these three cognitive misunderstandings!
1. If you don't have sex, you don't have it?
Some gynecological diseases such as ovarian tumors may occur in women of all ages, even if there is no sexual life, if you have symptoms such as abdominal pain and abdominal lumps, you should go to the gynecology department as soon as possible to avoid delaying the disease.
2. Do you need to have a gynecological physical examination after menopause?
Menopause does not mean that there will be no gynecological problems, many gynecological diseases occur in women over 50 years old, so after menopause, it is necessary to have regular gynecological examinations, so that they can be detected and treated early.
3. Abdominal ultrasound/CT is equivalent to gynecological physical examination
Abdominal ultrasound or CT is not a substitute for gynecological examination, and many gynecological diseases such as cervical lesions require a detailed gynecological examination combined with a Pap smear to detect them.
Gynecological examination is not a flood beast, and we do not need to wear "colored glasses" to look at it, the examination is checked, fully trust the doctor, and cooperate with the doctor to complete a high-quality examination, so as to avoid the trouble of gynecological diseases.
Resources:
[1] "Do I need regular gynecological check-ups if I don't have sex?" 》. Health Management Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital.2024-01-12
[2] "Secretly tell you, three things you can't do before going to the gynecologist". Xiangya Hospital, Central South University.2021-05-20
[3] "With a sex life, these gynecological examinations should be arranged quickly". Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University.2022-12-12
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