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Walking into Womanhood
Her First Gynecological Exam
By Lisa Marie Metzler
After the discussion phase is over, the gynecologist will perform a general exam. The gynecologist will also check the thyroid for unusual growth or lumps and listen to the lungs. A breast exam will also be done if your daughter is developed.
When your daughter is scheduled for an internal exam or pap smear, it is important to tell her what to expect from the actual procedure. She will have a sheet or gown over her, and the gynecologist will have her lie down with her feet placed in stirrups for the examination. It will feel awkward, but assure her that she is not the only woman to feel this way, and the examination is necessary to screen for many medical problems like cervical cancer or precancerous changes of the cervix, as well as ovarian tumors or sexually transmitted diseases.
"It is so important that the gynecologist make the teen feel comfortable about the pelvic exam by providing visual information through the use of models and taking her through the exam step by step before the exam is started," says Dr. Jean Hundley from the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.
Many teens will be very apprehensive about this exam, as they have heard their friends or peers talk about how painful it is. Reassure her that the exam should not be painful, but she will experience some brief discomfort. "The teen should be made to feel that she is in control, so that if the exam becomes too uncomfortable, sh can ask her gynecologist to stop," Dr. Hundley says.