I'm 18, a virgin and just curious as to what a Pap smear and a plevic exam are, what they are used for and if I need to have them or if there are other things I need to have done but don't know about. I was going to see a gyno before I went off to college, but family stuff came up and I never got around to itThanks
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Pap smear, pelvic exam, huh?
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You will more than likely have to get naked and put on a paper gown. At some point you will get a breast exam which consists of the nurse/doctor/clinician checking for lumps in your breasts and under your arms. It's kind of like a boob massage, lol. Your pap smear consists of having a lubricated speculum (a metal or plastic device) into your vagina that gently opens it up so that they can look inside to see the vaginal canal and cervix. Then they will insert a small wire brush and/or a large cotton swab to take cell samples from the inside. They are checking to make sure that you don't have abormal cells which could lead to cervical cancer. They will also insert a finger or two inside you to feel for any abnormalities such as lumps, etc. They will also "feel" your ovaries by pushing on your lower abdoman to make sure they are the right size, etc. All of this takes a couple of minutes, and horrible as it sounds, is pretty much painless. More uncomfortable and embarrassing than anything. They obviously glance over the outside too to make sure there are no infections or visable stds. Some places may check you for stds as well.
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wow, that definatly sounds like funnnnjkthanks for the info