Visiting the gynaecologist can be an incredibly daunting experience especially if it’s your first time. But embarrassment shouldn’t be the reason to cancel or skip your appointment, so Femfresh have compiled a handy guide of 6 things to improve your first gynaecology visit.

The common misconception is that you should only see your gynaecologist when you’re pregnant or if there’s troubles in your reproductive system, but this isn’t true! Like with most parts in the human body, for instance eyes and teeth, they need regular checkups to make sure everything is working as it should and let’s face it ‘down there’ is no different. As you can imagine all gynaecologist have seen and heard it all! Everything from differences in sex drive, changes in odour, abnormalities in appearance, whatever the issue, they’ve more than likely seen it before. So, what else can you do to help calm those nerves and get you to your ob/gyn appointment?

  1. You don’t need a reason to book your appointment

That’s right, you don’t need to have an issue to book an appointment, it’s worth visiting your gynaecologist to make sure everything is running smoothly. Its recommended girls should book their first visit from the age of 13 – 15 but don’t let this scare you if you haven’t visited before, if not it’s more reason to book a visit!

  1. Follow the 24 hour rule

For the 24 hours before your appointment it is best to avoid sex and deep cleaning your vagina to help maintain its natural flora, this makes it much easier to get a quick and accurate result from your gynaecologist. On the day of your appointment, it’s best to shower and use a feminine hygiene wipe just to keep things fresh and help your peace of mind but remember you don’t need to shave or wax!

  1. Periods due? Time to reschedule

Having a period can make your appointment more difficult. The hormonal changes can make breasts really uncomfortable and bleeding can cause a lot of mess and reduce the accuracy, so it’s always best to reschedule!

  1. Be honest

Be honest about your sex life, menstruation and any pain, cramps, bleeding, discharge or hormonal changes you’re experiencing. It’s a safe space and all these details can help prevent further problems in the future before they arise.

  1. Under 21? No pap test just yet

If you’re lucky enough to be under 21 there’s no need to book a pelvic exam. This exam is performed yearly and takes just under 10 minutes and helps to identify any abnormalities that can lead to illness. During the exam they assess, ovaries, vulva, cervix, uterus and bladder, so is pretty thorough in minimal time!

  1. Come prepared

Before your appointment there will no doubt be a whole range of questions whirring around in your head and when you’re at the appointment you may simply forget and want to get out of there, so to make it easier we advise creating a list of questions so you can leave your appointment happy that you haven’t forgotten to ask anything!

Hopefully this has all helped with your first gynaecology visit. If you’d like to find out more about Femfresh products and how they can help keeping ‘down there’ fresh then please email info@femfresharabia.com or visit the website.