CG! answers your most confusing questions about your body so you'll always know what's going on down there!
Will my gynecologist know I've had sex?
—Chloe, 19, West Fayette, IN
She'll probably suspect it, because in a routine exam, she'll notice that your hymen is broken or stretched, says Larrian Gillespie, M.D., a California urogynecologist. (But remember, that can also happen from using tampons.) However, if you're sexually active, Chloe, you should want your gyno to know. She can screen you for STDs, prescribe birth control if you need it, and answer any other sex questions you have. Unfortunately, confidentiality laws vary from state to statesome states, for instance, require your doctor to notify your parents if you're having an abortion. So ask your doc what the laws are in your state before the exam.
I've heard that they [gynecologists] put these scary metal prongs up youand that it hurts so bad, you cry!
—Name withheld
That "metal prong" you've heard about is the speculum, a tool made of two metal parts that looks like a closed duck beak. Your gyno will slide it into your vagina for your Pap test (she'll put a slippery gel on it first). It might feel a little weird (or cold!), but it shouldn't hurt. You can request that she use the smallest one she has.
I'm super self-conscious about my body, and I know that I'll
never be able to look the doctor in the eye! Help!
—Name withheld
Gynecologists can examine 100 or more vaginas a week. It might seem strange, but a pelvic exam is as routine to them as listening to a heartbeat. It's okay to be embarrassed, but your doctor doesn't think anything of it, so you shouldn't either. Besides, going to the gyno is so important for your health that it's worth the embarrassment.
I heard that the gynecologist can tell your parents if you're not a virgin. That makes me not want to go!
—Name withheld
The conversation between you and your doctor is generally protected under doctor-patient confidentiality. She legally can't tell your parents anything you tell her unless she gets consent from you, regardless of your age. The exceptions are if you tell her you're planning to inflict bodily harm on yourself or others, if you're being abused, or, in some states, if you're getting an abortion. You should feel secure enough with your doctor to ask her even the most personal questions, because she's there to help younot to rat you out.
I'm not sexually active yet, so I don't see why I have to go to the gynecologist.
—Name withheld
Even if you're not having sex, you need to have a doctor make sure your reproductive system is developing properly and that your periods are normal. Plus, now that there's a vaccine to prevent HPV, a virus that can lead to cervical cancer, many gynos recommend that you learn about the vaccine at your exambefore you ever have sex.
I am still a virgin, and I'm afraid that if a doctor puts anything
inside me, I won't be anymore.
—Name withheld
You're probably concerned about the hymen, a thin rim of tissue surrounding the opening of the vagina that you're born with. Some people think putting anything inside your vagina will tear the hymen; the fact is, by the time of most girls' first gyno visit, the hymen has already torn or stretched through normal activities. If your hymen is still intact, it's flexible and shouldn't be broken by a speculum or pelvic exam. Even if it is, that doesn't mean you're not a virgin. Virginity is lost during a sexual act, not a medical exam.
Back to sex questions: your body
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