More articles Questioning the Practice of Pelvic Exams

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

Questioning the Need for Routine Pelvic Exam
Commentary Argues It Deters Regular Gynecological Care

(  For healthy women with no symptoms of disease, a routine pelvic exam serves little purpose—and may be so disliked that it dissuades some women from getting regular gynecological care. "If a woman is asymptomatic and feeling fine, getting naked on a table with stirrups and a speculum is not adding extra value," says lead author Carolyn Westhoff, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center and of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. )

I am, of course, offended and enraged that the justifications for exams are money, fear of litigation, and that it "sanctifies" the visit. What the hell? I would also argue against the idea of a pelvic exam being "necessary periodically," unless it is to evauate symptoms. If it's not necessary, it's not necessary, period.

See also:

http://www.managingcontraception.com/newsevents/dr-bob/pelvic-exam-necessary-for-contraception-rx/

http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/200806/200806stewart.pdf

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_105865.html :
"Many doctors require that women have a pelvic exam before they can get a prescription for birth control pills, despite guidelines saying that the step is unnecessary, a new study finds[....]Overall, 29 percent of ob-gyns and 33 percent of family doctors said they always required a pelvic exam for women seeking birth control pills. In addition, half of ob-gyns and about 45 percent of family doctors said they usually required the exam. Advanced-practice nurses specializing in women's health were the least likely to require a pelvic exam, with 16 percent saying they always did so. In contrast, nurses specializing in family medicine were more likely than all other providers to always require a pelvic exam; 45 percent said they did."

I would have guessed, from people reporting here at VP and elsewhere, that the actual percent of doctors requring (or at least, appearing to require) pelvic exams before precribing HBC is actually much higher than above. What I don't understand is, where's the outrage? Why do I feel like I'm the only one furious about the unnessary hurdles placed on people seeking birth control? It has eroded what little trust I ever had for the medical profession (since more health care providers really ought to be speaking out against it) and made me feel as if I have to be adversarial and hyper-viligant any time I need any sort of health care.

Boring 'orgasms'

[godsinstrument.livejournal.com]

Getting right to the heart of the matter.  Alright, so basically I've only ever had like 1 or 2 really amazing orgasms.  In the past, however, getting there has been pretty fun, at least.  :-)  The past few times I've masturbated, however, it's been like this epically boring lead-up, followed by an even more epically boring 'orgasm', where my body kind of goes "beep.'  And that's it, and I'm going "What that it?"

It's been about a year and a half since I was active.  

Am I doomed to a life of boring orgasms?  Will this get better?

Cleaning nuvaring?

[whimaway.livejournal.com]

So I posted a little while about getting the nuvaring. I'm using it now and it's great so far. It's a little awkward to insert, but that's alright. The little squishy ring just doesn't want to go in sometimes lol. But I just remember another fold to try, sooo maybe that will work better. Anyways I'm currently on my period, and I inserted the ring on Day 1. That means I am fully protected and can have sex without another BC method right? (Monogamous relationship, no VDs.)

Also I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but when I was taking out my menstrual cup today I noticed that my vagina was very very hot. Is this a sign of inflamation, yeast infection, perhaps? (Please say it isn't!) Also I was wondering for those that use nuva rings, is it alright to wipe it down with rubbing alcohol, rinse with water and reinsert? Will that mess with the hormones? I was just wondering because I don't think it sounds very good to leave a plastic ring inside me and never clean it, at least with water. Thanks in advance for the advice! :)

ovulation or not?

[littletuxedomen.livejournal.com]

dear VP-ers,

i have a question that i hope you guys can help me with!

About 10-12 days ago I had all my usual tell-tale symptoms of ovulation: lots and lots of globby egg-white mucus, right bang about 14-16 days when i'm due to start my period... so i thought okay i ovulated and that's that, no surprises there. after those 2-3 days of fertile egg white mucus my discharge decreased a lot, as it usually does, and everything become kinda dry down there. again, no surprises.

but the last 2 days i have suddenly been getting LOTS of watery discharge. i could literally feel it gush into my pants >< and today morning i had a twinging pain for about half an hour on where i think my right ovary is.... both of which are strangely symptoms of ovulation! (i've had the twinging pain during other cycles when i'm ovulating as well, and the copious amounts of discharge except now it's way more watery). and now my boobs are sore.

my period is due in about a week's time, so... do you guys have any clue what's going on? can a double ovulation be possible?? or does the second one not sound like ovulation at all....

thanks in advance for the help :)