Having a gynaecological examination regularly every year is extremely important for preventive health care and for maintaining physical and reproductive health. Unfortunately many women neglect the gynaecological examination.
Women who postpone their check-ups because they have no physical complaint can face many different risks. Raising awareness about the importance of gynaecological examinations is of great importance for staying healthy.
Gynaecological Examinations Save Lives
Women’s cancers are health problems that can largely be treated with the right treatments when they are diagnosed early. When diagnosis is late, treatment options decrease and life expectancy cannot be extended. It is possible to diagnose different diseases such as cancer of the uterus, the cervix and the ovaries at a very early stage during routine gynaecological examinations.
During gynaecological examinations, listening to the patient’s history and complaints, obtaining information about her menstrual pattern and checking those with an active sexual life for sexually transmitted diseases means a great advantage. We know that there are many women who are reluctant about gynaecological examinations and that many of them are afraid of the process.
Yet with a regular gynaecological examination, without long gaps, the difficulties that can be met in an examination performed after a long time because of a complaint can also be overcome. The doctor knows the patient well and compares the findings of the previous examination with the new findings, and the patient can quickly reach her doctor for new complaints.
The Gynaecological Examination Should Start at an Early Age
Within the gynaecological examination, comprehensive assessments of the female genital organs such as the fallopian tubes, the cervix, the ovaries, the vulva and the vagina are made. First it is investigated whether there are cysts, warts and similar abnormalities in the vulval area. Then the vagina is examined. The vagina is opened with a special instrument called a speculum and it is examined whether there is any structural problem in the vaginal walls.
During the regular annual gynaecological examination, a Pap smear test is performed on people over the age of 21. Thanks to this test, cervical cancer and the precancerous cell changes that carry a risk of turning into cervical cancer can be diagnosed at an early age. If any abnormality is detected in previous test results, the frequency of the smear can be increased.
While the cells shed from the cervix are examined in the Pap smear test, the human papillomavirus can also be checked in the same sample. When both are checked, the situation is called a co-test. If the co-test is normal, the smear can be taken at longer intervals. During the gynaecological examination a series of different tests and examinations can be performed on women. A woman’s age, personal risk factors and family history can affect which tests and examinations are performed.
Only Married or Sexually Active Women Should Go for a Gynaecological Examination!
Of course this is wrong. The diseases we mentioned above are not seen only in women who have sexual intercourse. They can also be seen in women who have never had sexual intercourse. For that reason, even if they have never had sexual intercourse, women should certainly go to the gynaecologist for a check-up once a year.
The Gynaecological Examination Should Not Be Postponed
In our society many women can neglect gynaecological examinations. Because of neglected routine check-ups, the early diagnosis of diseases that can create a risk to life becomes impossible. For this reason, carrying out gynaecological examinations regularly once a year is of great importance both for protecting and for maintaining women’s health.