Your General Practitioner (GP) may recommend an appointment with gynae in Singapore at a well-reputed clinic like PK Women’s Specialist Clinic @ The Venue if you develop female-related health complications that may need a specialist’s assessment. You may also want to see a knowledgeable gynae if you suspect that you are pregnant.
Alternatively, you may also just see your gynae in Singapore as part of a routine appointment to ensure that you’re fully healthy. As a general rule, when looking for a gynae clinic, ensure that the facility is accredited.
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What the Gynae Does
A gynae is a specialist doctor who offers sexual and reproductive health services. Therefore, it would be best to schedule an appointment with your gynae in Singapore if you are troubled with your reproductive or sexual health.
Some of the health services you can expect at the gynae clinic include screening and treatment for vaginal infections, pelvic exams, cancer screenings, and pap tests, etc. A qualified gynae in Singapore can also help you diagnose and manage or treat different reproductive system disorders like pelvic pain, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and infertility, among others.
Depending on the training your gynae has received, they can also give you care when pregnant or giving birth. A gynae who is qualified for such services also practices as an obstetrician.
If you are working with a gynae who has also received obstetrics training, that gynecologist is known as OB/GYN. To be certain that you’re working with a fully qualified gynae, check to ensure that they’re registered with professional bodies and are board-certified.
Do Gynecologists Stick Fingers?
If you visit a gynae in Singapore for issues like pelvic exams, you can expect them to use approved and medical-grade equipment like the speculum for the assessments. There are, however, instances when it may be necessary to insert the fingers, in which case, your gynecologist will let you know if they will be touching you.
Now, your appointment with the gynae is more than just sticking the fingers and doing the Pap smears, etc. As a basic rule of thumb, a knowledgeable gynae in Singapore will have to ensure that you are comfortable before having you take your clothes off.
Therefore, you can expect the gynecologist to ask you various questions ranging from your lifestyle to whether you experience any form of genital discomfort. If you experience any form of genital discomfort, the doctor will want to know the instances surrounding that discomfort.
For instance, they may want to know if you get the discomfort during sexual activity, when using a contraceptive, or when getting your periods. These questions aren’t really consistent and would vary depending on factors like your age and lifestyle.
You may also need to be screened for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Do note that screening for STDs may not be necessary if you are a teenager who isn’t sexually active.
If you are a woman who is yet to hit 21 years of age, you will most likely not need the invasive vaginal exams. Ideally, these exams may be warranted if you have or the doctor suspects that you have specific medical conditions or risks that may make such exams necessary.
For example, your gynae in Singapore may perform a Pap smear if there are risks for cervical cancer. If the Pap smear is recommended for your assessment, you will be required to lie on your back and then place your feet in supports known as the stirrups.
The gynae will then insert a speculum to ensure that the vagina remains open when taking swabs for gathering sample cells from your cervix. In the past, Pap smears were done routinely after every year.
With the advancement in medicine and a better understanding of the conditions it can help detect, such as cervical cancer; today, the guidelines recommend that you have pap smears every 3 to 5 years if you are 21 years or more. Do note that this may change depending on your risk factors.
Again as a general rule, your gynae in Singapore will explain the necessity of the frequency of the exams and, most importantly, what you can expect during the assessments. Another typical exam that your gynae can recommend and you may find uncomfortable is the pelvic exam.
If your gynae in Singapore recommends a pelvic exam, they will still explain what happens during the exam. During the test, you can expect them to use the speculum again to keep the vagina open.
They would then place their fingers in the vagina and use the other hand to press on your abdomen. The gynae may recommend a pelvic exam if there are concerns that may need to be addressed regarding the positioning and size of your cervix, fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries.
Importantly, it can also help in detecting ovarian and related cancers. Do note that pelvic exams are not usually necessary for every patient.
Ideally, it may not be recommended for you if you are not pregnant, and the symptoms you’re having have no links with gynecological complications. That implies that it is very unlikely for your gynae in Singapore to recommend pelvic exams if you’re being checked for STDs.
The STDs can always be checked through urine, blood tests, and swabs. A perfect instance that may make it necessary for you is if you’re on oral contraceptives.
This is because; there is some chance that the hormones from the contraceptives may affect your cervical and vaginal lining. Therefore, the doctor may recommend the pelvic exam if you’re experiencing complications after using the oral contraceptives since the pelvic exam can detect the changes these medications may leave in your cervical and vaginal lining.
Should I Be Embarrassed to See a Gynecologist?
It is very natural to feel shy on your initial appointments with the gynae in Singapore. However, you really do not need to be embarrassed.
The gynecologist is only interested in helping you maintain good sexual and reproductive health, so there isn’t really anything to feel scared or embarrassed about. If you feel that you may not be really comfortable around some gynecologists, be sure to check with the facility if they can make arrangements for your appointment with a registered and certified gynae you can feel comfortable around.
Your Help May be a Call Away
Do you experience gynecological complications which you feel a gynae in Singapore would be most suited to address? It would help if you do not keep waiting. Call us now to select dates for your appointment.
PK Women’s Specialist Clinic @ The Venue
2 Tai Thong Cres, #01-12 The Venue Shoppes, Singapore 347836
+65 6636 9909