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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staff- To assess your gynecologic health. A pelvic exam often is part of a routine physical exam for women to find possible signs of a variety of disorders, such as ovarian cysts, sexually transmitted infections, uterine fibroids or early-stage cancer. Your doctor can recommend how frequently you need to be examined, but many women have a pelvic exam once a year.
- To diagnose a medical condition. Your doctor may suggest a pelvic exam if you're experiencing gynecologic symptoms, such as pelvic pain, unusual vaginal bleeding, skin changes, abnormal vaginal discharge or urinary problems. A pelvic exam can help your doctor diagnose possible causes of these symptoms and determine if other diagnostic testing or treatment is needed.
References
- LeBlond RF, et al. The screening physical examination. In: DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination, 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3658782. Accessed April 9, 2009.
- Special procedures: The Pap test. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp085.cfm. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Carusi DA, et al. The gynecologic history and physical examination. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Gynecologic problems: Pelvic pain. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp099.cfm. Accessed April 13, 2009.
- Schorge JO, et al. Well woman care. In: Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3148000. Accessed April 9, 2009.
- LeBlond RF, et al. The female genitalia and reproductive system. In: DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination, 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3656235. Accessed April 9, 2009.
- Cervical cytology screening. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/documents/PB109_Cervical_Cytology_Screening.pdf. Accessed Nov. 20, 2009.
