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gynecologist
review response 14 |
how old are
you, and for how long have you been seeing your gynecologist?
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I am 28; I have seen a gynecologist faithfully since college. Having recently moved, I had my first (and last) appointment with a new gynecologist today.
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how did you
find your first gynecologist? did your mother talk to you about it; did
she take you to see hers?
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I asked a few times in high school if Mom thought it would be a good idea for me to see a gynecologist. Since I wasn't sexually active, she didn't think it was necessary. (Secretly, though, I always worried about my fertility since I knew--as she did not, at the time--I had been molested.) When I got to college, I didn't have health insurance and didn't know where to go, so I turned to Planned Parenthood. I could not believe how nice the gynecologist there was. She took the time to explain the whole procedure to me, offered me a look at my own vagina using a mirror, and held my hand as I cried about my prior abuse. I remember when I left thinking how grateful I was for Planned Parenthood's services and kindness--I couldn't figure out why anyone would want to bomb them!
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do you feel
comfortable to ask questions about your body, what you are experiencing,
to discuss your sex-life?
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I do feel very comfortable now discussing my body and my sex life. As I've gotten older, that confidence has grown. While discussing my decision not to take the pill, I think it was my doctor who blushed, not me, when I told him flatly, "I am no longer willing to compromise my sex drive for contraception--what are my other options?"
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how often
do you see your gynecologist? what does a regular exam consist of?
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Once a year. Having moved a number of times over the last decade, I find what constitutes a regular exam varies widely from doctor to doctor. Some ask more questions than others, some are more open to questions than others. Usually there is a pap smear and breast exam at some point. Only once was I given a barrage of STD tests. My favorite gynecologist was the one who put warm oven mitts on the stirrups so patients feet wouldn't get cold!
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would you
recommend your gynecologist - why, or why not?
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Frankly, no. The doctor I saw today has had a small town practice for a number of years. I am embarassed to say I went to him because he was the closest doctor covered by my insurance. But when I said I was there to discuss my birth control options, he began a line of questions that ended with him angrily saying, "You are being extremely selfish not wanting children. Don't you feel irresponsible wanting recreation without procreation? Etc. Etc." When I got home I of course thought of any number of things I could have said in response, but it was hard to muster a defense in the face of a man chastising me, while I sat on a table without any pants on. He ended by suggesting I call back in a month if I still wanted to discuss birth control. Obviously, I'll be calling someone else instead!
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what are
all the factors that go into how you feel about your experience with
your gyno?
does the reception and nursing staff play a role?
is there good reading material in the waiting room?
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Frankly, no. The doctor I saw today has had a small town practice for a number of years. I am embarassed to say I went to him because he was the closest doctor covered by my insurance. But when I said I was there to discuss my birth control options, he began a line of questions that ended with him angrily saying, "You are being extremely selfish not wanting children. Don't you feel irresponsible wanting recreation without procreation? Etc. Etc." When I got home I of course thought of any number of things I could have said in response, but it was hard to muster a defense in the face of a man chastising me, while I sat on a table without any pants on. He ended by suggesting I call back in a month if I still wanted to discuss birth control. Obviously, I'll be calling someone else instead!
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is there something more
you'd like to be getting from your gynecologist that you aren't?
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In general, I still think a lot of gynecologist steer you towards a few standards in birth control rather than really equipping you with information and encouraging you to take the lead in your contraceptive choices. I also find myself sometimes wishing there was more of a discussion as to how your menstral health fits into your whole life as a woman, rather than just whether or not you are going to procreate this year--you know, talk about how it fits into larger, everyday bodily cycles.
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have you been treated
for a disease or disorder? what was it? was it easily diagnosed? what
treatment was prescribed, and was it successful?
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Fortunately, I've never had a disorder beyond a pronounced sexual inhibition as a result of my early molestation. Lots of counseling and a very patient partner proved to be worth their weight in gold.
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this conversation makes
me think....
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There are still such subtle, pervasive "doctor knows best" culture among gynecologists, despite the fact that we live within these bodies every hour of every day. The exam room today was decorated with teddy bears, making me feel very much like a child being examined by an adult. I couldn't help but wonder, lying there, if men find themselves studying Tonka Truck wallpaper while getting a prostate exam! (Somehow, I think not....)
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