30/03/2024
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻
As a woman, routine gynaecological exams are an important part of your preventive health plan. If you’re not scheduling a visit routinely, you could face reproductive health complications that may otherwise be preventable.
The main goal of a routine gynecological exam is to identify potential health issues that can affect your long-term health and reproductive wellness. You should schedule your first visit by the age of 18 or sooner if you’re sexually active.
This is important because many serious conditions that affect a woman’s health, don’t cause obvious symptoms until they progress. For instance, you can have precancerous or cancerous cells growing in your cervix 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 any warning signs.
1️⃣ 🆃🆁🅰🅽🆂🆅🅰🅶🅸🅽🅰🅻 & 🆃🆁🅰🅽🆂🅰🅱🅳🅾🅼🅸🅽🅰🅻 🅴🅲🅷🅾🅶🆁🅰🅿🅷🆈
Transva**nal ultrasounds are sometimes called “endova**nal ultrasounds” because the device that records images of your pelvic cavity (transducer) is inserted inside your va**na. The process is different from a traditional abdominal ultrasound, where your doctor moves the transducer across your belly to record images.
𝗔 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘃𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱.
But, an abdominal ultrasound is also an option if a transva**nal ultrasound cannot be done.
A transva**nal ultrasound can be performed to diagnose conditions causing unpleasant symptoms, like pelvic pain or abnormal bleeding.
A transva**nal ultrasound allows your provider to identify:
1) Cysts
2) Tumors
3) Fibroids
4) Polyps
5) Signs of a pelvic infection
6) Signs of cancer
7) Signs of ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage
8) Potential causes of fertility issues
9) If an intrauterine device (IUD) is in the correct position
A transva**nal ultrasound during pregnancy can be performed, especially during the first trimester (weeks one to 12), to:
1) Confirm your pregnancy
2) Determine how far along you are in your pregnancy
3) Monitor your baby’s heartbeat
4) Identify warning signs of a miscarriage or early delivery
5) Identify conditions that will affect your pregnancy plan, like having a low-lying placenta (placenta previa)
2️⃣ 🆅🅰🅶🅸🅽🅰🅻 🆂🅿🅴🅲🆄🅻🆄🅼 🅴🆇🅰🅼🅸🅽🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽
During such an exam, the speculum widens your va**nal walls just enough for the doctor to see your va**nal canal and your cervix. Your cervix is the opening between your va**na and your uterus.
The widening makes it easier for your doctor to view your cervix and check for abnormal growths like cancer or other irregularities. A speculum also allows your doctor to take fluid samples to test for infections.
3️⃣ 🅲🅴🆁🆅🅸🅲🅰🅻 🅲🅰🅽🅲🅴🆁 🆂🅲🆁🅴🅴🅽🅸🅽🅶 (🅻🅸🆀🆄🅸🅳-🅱🅰🆂🅴🅳 🅲🆈🆃🅾🅻🅾🅶🆈)
As per the World Health Organisation, cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer in women globally, with around 660 000 new cases in 2022 only. About 94% of the 350 000 deaths caused by cervical cancer globally, occurred in countries where cervical cancer screening is not performed regularly by the local healthcare facilities.
Thinprep pap test (Made in USA) is a lifesaving screening tool for cervical cancer. This liquid-based cytology can detect abnormal cells in the cervix before they become cancerous.
This procedure ensures that the cells are more readily released into the liquid, capturing virtually all of the cells. This new ThinPrep Pap Test gives a new level of confidence in the reliability of your results.
4️⃣ 🆅🅰🅶🅸🅽🅰🅻 🆂🆆🅰🅱🅱🅸🅽🅶
Vaginal swabbing is a technique to obtain a sample of va**nal discharge for microscopy and for culture and sensitivity testing.
Vaginal swabs are done if symptoms like itching, irritation, a burning sensation, or swelling in the va**na or v***a, pain during sexual in*******se, pain during urination, mild va**nal bleeding, etc. are present.
The high-va**nal swab is used to detect infections, including bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas va**nalis, candida, Group B streptococcus, etc.
The endocervical swab is used to perform microscopy, culture and sensitivities for gonorrhoea.
Dr. Sheikh M Shehzaad Ammeer Women's Health Services - Port Louis
5256 6566
Cnr. Sir Virgil Naz Street And Emmanuel Anquetil Street, Port Louis (Opposite An-Noor Pharmacy)
