Before I went to the gyno, I read up about gyno exams on the internet, and since that first time I've gone... four times. One for a re-pap [because my pap smear was abnormal in some way], and three times for annual checks. Each time it gets easier.
Just remember, your vagina is a body part just like any other body part. A dentist has to put hir hands and a mirror into your mouth, a podiatrist needs to touch and examine your feet, any doctor has to interact with your body in which ever place the doctor specializes [that was such a terrible sentence, forgive me, I've had a long day]. A gynecologist can't examine your reproductive organs without touching them or looking at them. This I know because I work for one.
A pap smear is necessary to check for abnormal cells. Sexual intercourse is Not Necessary to get HPV, any touching of genitals-to-genitals can transmit it. Probably also genitals-to-hand-to-genitals, or something along those lines. Pelvic exams done with the hands are necessary to see if you have any cycts on your ovaries, which has little to nothing to do with your sexual history, and it's also good to know if you have a tilted or abnormally shaped uterus or ovaries or fallopian tubes. None of these things are done "just for the hell of it," they are all done for your health.
Now, would you want a dentist to tell you that your teeth are healthy without looking at them, after just asking you how many times a day you brush and how many sweets you eat? No, of course not! That's not an accurate way to measure health! Same with gynos, they can't tell you how healthy or unhealthy you are without checking out what's going on down there.
I know that genitals are often seen as "a special place" on your body or whatnot, but they require the same amount of health care, if not more, and healthcare can't be provided unless those parts are examined.
I hope this makes you feel a little bit more comfortable with gynos. Annual gyno exams are extremely important to your health, an infection that is left untreated could lead to, in the most extreme cases, cancer [from HPV] or infertility [from gonorrhea, chlamydia, or other bacterial infections]. Also, keep yourself informed about what the gynecologist is going to be doing during the exam, ask questions, read about the exam beforehand on the internet or in the AMAZING book "Our Bodies, Ourselves." Actually, I recommend getting "Our Bodies, Ourselves" even if you're not going to use it just for this purpose. It's a great resource for all sorts of information about the "girly bits" and most aspects of life as a person with a gender OR sexual identity of being female.
no subject
Just remember, your vagina is a body part just like any other body part. A dentist has to put hir hands and a mirror into your mouth, a podiatrist needs to touch and examine your feet, any doctor has to interact with your body in which ever place the doctor specializes [that was such a terrible sentence, forgive me, I've had a long day]. A gynecologist can't examine your reproductive organs without touching them or looking at them. This I know because I work for one.
A pap smear is necessary to check for abnormal cells. Sexual intercourse is Not Necessary to get HPV, any touching of genitals-to-genitals can transmit it. Probably also genitals-to-hand-to-genitals, or something along those lines. Pelvic exams done with the hands are necessary to see if you have any cycts on your ovaries, which has little to nothing to do with your sexual history, and it's also good to know if you have a tilted or abnormally shaped uterus or ovaries or fallopian tubes. None of these things are done "just for the hell of it," they are all done for your health.
Now, would you want a dentist to tell you that your teeth are healthy without looking at them, after just asking you how many times a day you brush and how many sweets you eat? No, of course not! That's not an accurate way to measure health! Same with gynos, they can't tell you how healthy or unhealthy you are without checking out what's going on down there.
I know that genitals are often seen as "a special place" on your body or whatnot, but they require the same amount of health care, if not more, and healthcare can't be provided unless those parts are examined.
I hope this makes you feel a little bit more comfortable with gynos. Annual gyno exams are extremely important to your health, an infection that is left untreated could lead to, in the most extreme cases, cancer [from HPV] or infertility [from gonorrhea, chlamydia, or other bacterial infections]. Also, keep yourself informed about what the gynecologist is going to be doing during the exam, ask questions, read about the exam beforehand on the internet or in the AMAZING book "Our Bodies, Ourselves." Actually, I recommend getting "Our Bodies, Ourselves" even if you're not going to use it just for this purpose. It's a great resource for all sorts of information about the "girly bits" and most aspects of life as a person with a gender OR sexual identity of being female.