WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for July, 2001: Re: ctal before Vaginal exam!

Re: ctal before Vaginal exam!

From: D. Ashley Hill, MD (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 16 Jul 2001 12:59:49 -0500 (CDT)

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In reply to: Brenda: "Re: Rectal before Vaginal exam!"

At Mon, 16 Jul 2001, Brenda wrote: >
>Drs. Ashley Hill and Harvey S. Marchbein:
>
>I am unable to access your responses and my original post on this topic,
>probably dated July 15 or 16, 2001, due to linking errors.
>
>I have resent my question, and hope you will repost your answers.
At Sun, 15 Jul 2001, Brenda wrote: > >Please help. My GP routinely performs the rectal exam BEFORE the
>vaginal/Pap exam. He does not bother to clean up the area after the
>first test, and I am concerned that this will cause a vaginal infection.

I would be more concerned that he might disrupt the Pap results than the potential for infection. A true rectovaginal exam involves putting one finger in the rectum and one in the vagina, to check for rectal polyps and for nodules between the rectum and vagina. By putting a finger in the vagina and the rectum *before* doing the Pap, it's theoretically possible to disrupt the cervix, making analysis of the Pap more difficult. Whether this is true has, to my knowledge, never been tested. I doubt it's a big deal either way, but most physicians I know do the Pap first, then the bimanual (vaginal) exam, then the rectovaginal exam. Best wishes,

DAH

--
D. Ashley Hill, MD
Associate Director
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency
Orlando, Florida

Next message: Jill: "Ovarian Cyst on Right side, but feeling pelvic mass on left"
Previous message: toni: "adnomyosis/adneomyosis"
In reply to: Brenda: "Re: Rectal before Vaginal exam!"

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