[Brity]

Hi, i am not new to the sex thing! I was with my ex bf for 6 1/2 years and we never used protection! We were adults living together and didnt mind if we ended up pregnant! Long story short I am a private person, I DO NOT like the thought of having a pevlic exam. I dont think it is fair and the topic actually makes me mad!

I am with a new guy now and we do use protection. However I would like to jump on the pill, depo, or whatever as a just in case thing... Is there anyplace that will prescribe BC without wanting to do a pelvic? PLEASE HELP ME

~B~

[Ashlee T.]

I'm not aware of any such place, but maybe someone else here is.

I don't "like" the idea of pelvic exams either. It's not something most women enjoy. But I also do not like the idea of spendig years of my life in suffering then dying prematurely due to cervical, uterine, ovarian, or breast cancer that goes undiagnosed because I didn't want to spend a few minutes of embarassment and discomfort at a pap smear once a year.

I think you can possibly ordering things like femcap any possibly the diaphragm online without seeing a doctor..... though it's not advised as its important to be sized correctly and know proper placement. But it might be an option.

[ItsASecret]

Eventually the exam must be done which I think is dumb because I absolutely hate the idea of a doctor touching me there. I am educated and know of the risks with cancer and preventative care but I am still not going to applaud the idea of them shoving an uncomfortable prod in me just to say "yeah your vag looks good". I also have a medical issue that makes my whole pelvic area not like other women so I am extremely self conscious. And my GP is a total hag who rolls her eyes at me and asks how my condition even came to be, the last thing I want is her to say "why do you look like that down there I have never seen it like this before". Talk about anxiety attack on the way, so I am avoiding her for exams because there is no way I am going to be comfortable with that woman. And that is important with such an invasive exam, you have to trust your doctor. They have to understand that you do not want them tinkering around, you just want it done so you can leave asap. So I can totally relate to your distaste for the exam.

But like everyone will say it needs to be done eventually. And the prescription all depends on the doctor. Your GP may require you to have a pap exam, some will write a prescription and say "next prescription is conditional on you getting a pap exam", some will say "oh jeez your's ran out let me give you another". Some gynes will do the same thing. Other doctors will highly advise you to get the exam but will not require it and still prescribe the birth control. The pap is not required per se, it is very highly recommended though. It is all a doctor's call. The only way I can think of you getting a prescription without an exam is hitting up the free clinics when need be, like planned parenthood in the states (if you live there), or a Medicenter in Canada. But that is a gamble because the wait times can be hours only to have the doctor say "no you need to go to your GP for that"-and yet some will prescribe it no problem.

[WildChild]

I don't know of any place (I've used Planned Parenthood and county health before) that will just hand you a script without an exam and often testing for STIs too. If you have a regular gyn who has examined you in the past, they might.

Personally they don't bother me, probably because I don't tense up about it. I can control my breathing and relax myself in just about any situation. I do a self scan for tense areas and then breath through and relax that area. Yoga relaxation training will teach you this fairly easily, or using a bio feedback device. You can learn to slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure too. If you are relaxed tht exam is no biggie. If the doctor seems a little rough, tell them.

[LanaBear]

Personally they don't bother me, probably because I don't tense up about it. I can control my breathing and relax myself in just about any situation. I do a self scan for tense areas and then breath through and relax that area. Yoga relaxation training will teach you this fairly easily, or using a bio feedback device. You can learn to slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure too. If you are relaxed tht exam is no biggie. If the doctor seems a little rough, tell them.

They don't bother me anymore either. I just breathe and talk. I remember not liking them for the longest time, but anymore, meh, just another day.

I also don't know of any Dr that would put you on birth control without an exam. In fact, if they did put you on birth control without an exam, I'd be more concerned about their integrity as a Dr. They are not doing it to make you feel uncomfortable, they do it as a form of prevention.

[amandaphillips_20]

I can totally relate to not wanting to get an exam. I absolutely hate going to the gynecologist and I've been going since i was 15 for menstrual issues. I have never gotten an exam before but my doctor dropped me from her practice because i moved away to college. I looked for every way possible to get my birth control with out going because i thought when you switched that was like a requirement. Guess what theres nothing out there unless you have $200 to drop a month on online prescriptions, which i did not. My boyfriend eventually got me to go but he went with me. I have like extreme panic attacks when i go...my pulse was in the 100's. I think its absolutely insane that it is necessary to get poke down their to get birth control. But this new doctor explained to me that it is not necessary until 21. Idk your age but you should at least make an appointment to talk with someone i felt alot better after finding out i have 3 years to prepare myself for the worst.

[caterpillar79]

No...do not self-medicate. Always consult a professional before ingesting any pill. As for the breast routine and exams, are all precautionary steps to check your well-being. Normally, you are not given a pelvic exam to be on BC pills, but it depends per country/doctor. Once you are sexually active, it is a must that you take precautionary measures to ensure your well-being. But that also entails taking every advise with a grain of salt, right?

[Guest]

(edit) reply to spammer
It comes down to the fact that it's your body. If you're not intereted or willing to go through with what is recommended in order to get the results (bc pills) that you desire, then don't. Live with the risks, there are many as mentioned above, and live with the outcomes of those risks should one strike you.

[OregonGirl]

If you've been sexually active for 6 and 1/2 years you should have already had at LEAST 6 exams...

What you are doing is very unhealthy for your body. My aunt just died from cervical cancer a few months ago.

[Alison (Aus)]

Why do we have to have a ‘medical degree’ to research intelligently and then make an informed decision?

Are you so frightened by your own female bodies that you need another person to tell you if you’re healthy or not ‘down there’? Our reproductive organs are not that complicated, healthy asymptomatic women don’t need constant medical surveillance.

It saddens me that so many women have been brainwashed by the medical establishment to take the word of a so-called ‘professionals’ over their own ability to research the evidence and make an informed choice…. The evidence is out there! We’re not making this up; cervical cancer is as rare as mouth cancer. And cervical screening can be harmful because of the unreliability of the test, and the commonality of unnecessary, painful and dangerous procedures due to false positives. Manually palpating for ovarian cancer as part of the pelvic exam is also considered to be an unreliable method to detect ovarian tumours.

Please stop being the mouthpiece for a profession that knowingly suppresses important information because it’s bad for business. Your doctor is fallible they are still human. Some ethical doctors will give you the correct facts, going against peer recommendations.

Not so long ago doctors were telling their patients to take up smoking because it helps with anxiety! Lobotomies were used to cure women from hysteria until the 1970’s, and in past centauries; doctors proscribed the use of mercury and other dangerous heavy metals for just about anything. Iatrogenesis (look it up) has been around for as long as people have put their trust in a specialised health practitioner.

I am not telling you to stop screening, I am asking you to question authority and use your innate ability to apply critical reasoning when finding out the facts for yourself to evaluate the benefits and risks of screening for any illness.