Smear, frequency of consultations, price: everything you need to know about gynecological consultation

The smear, what is it for and when should I do it?How to find a good gynecologist?Can I be examined if I have my period?Odile Bagot, obstetrician and psychosomatician gynecologist, helps us to see a little more clear.

What is a gynecologist for?

The medical gynecologist is a doctor specializing in the female genital system.He accompanies women throughout the different sexual stages of their lives, from puberty to pregnancy, including childbirth and menopause.It is he who is responsible for prescribing contraceptives, taking charge of sexually transmitted infections (IST), rules, pelvic pain and women's cancer screening.

The obstetrician gynecologist, in addition, takes care of childbirth and often surgery.

Are women forced to consult?

No, consulting a gynecologist is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended to do so.Even if we tend to go backwards, keep in mind that consultation is a preventive health approach: regular monitoring allows the diagnosis and screening of gynecological diseases (sexually transmitted infections, collar cancerUterus and breast), the treatment of gynecological pathologies (bleeding problems, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, etc.) but also the prescription of contraception and the hormonal treatment of menopause.

When to make your first meeting with the gynecologist?

There is no specific age to start consulting a gynecologist."If a woman has never had sex and has no gynecological problem, then she doesn't need to consult," said Doctor Odile Bagot.But most often, the first consultation takes place at the start of sexual activity, with a view to prescribing contraception.You can also consult for the first time in the event of menstrual cycle disorders and rules of rules or pelvic.

"It is also quite possible to make a first contact meeting, without examination, to have an overview of what a consultation looks like and have a referent gynecologist if necessary," said Doctor Bagot.

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How often should we consult?

An annual visit to the gynecologist is recommended from the start of sexual activity.This is an opportunity for the doctor to do prevention, but also to verify that the patient's cycles are normal and to detect a possible pathology thanks to a clinical examination (suspicious losses, pelvic mass, touch pain)."It is also a privileged speech space for women, which allows them to talk about their intimacy freely and to be really listened to. You have to take advantage of it," adds Odile Bagot.

Is gynecological examination systematic?

No.Especially when it is a first visit.There, the gynecologist will be content to ask questions to the patient, both on her family and medical history and on her menstruation (their regularity, their duration, their intensity, etc.).It is also not necessary to use auscultation for a first pill prescription.

For patients very anxious by examination, Odile Bagot recalls that it is possible to program an appointment without gynecological examination or even choose a visioconsultation appointment, which will allow the patient to be more comfortableWhile questioning its more depth symptoms.

Should we be completely naked during the exam?

It's not an obligation !No doctor has the right to impose on her patient to withdraw all of her clothes if she does not feel capable of it.Odile Bagot recommends that her most modest patients come with a long skirt that they will only have to lift during the exam while keeping their top.Same scenario for breast exam: it is quite possible to simply lift your t-shirt or dress, so as not to feel completely naked.

The smear, what is it and when should I do it?

The smear is the biological examination which is used to detect collar diseases which could constitute a risk factor for cervical cancers - which affects an average of 3,000 women each year in France.

The High Authority for Health (HAS) recommends doing so for the first time at the age of 25.A second smear must then take place the following year, at 26, then every three years up to 30 years (so once, at 29 years old).Between 25 and 30, the examination consists in making a cervical cytology - a cell levy at the level of the cervix.

Then, from 30 to 65 years old, we no longer seek to analyze the cells of the collar, but we are looking for the presence of the papillomavirus.We then talk about HPV test.In the absence of this virus, the smear must then take place every 5 years, according to the latest HAS recommendations.

Can we go to the gynecologist when you have its period?

It's entirely possible.If your appointment falls at the same time as your menstruation, there is no point in canceling it (unless you do not feel comfortable at the idea of being examined during your period)."In certain circumstances, especially during the installation of the IUD, having its rules can even be advantageous, because the collar is a little more open," says Odile Bagot.

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How to choose your gynecologist well?

At first, ask yourself what will make you most comfortable: do you prefer to consult a gynecologist, or a man?

Then, Odile Bagot advises to trust word of mouth: "Your colleagues, your friends and your family will be best placed to recommend a practitioner according to their lived experiences. On the other hand, I strongly advise againstOpinion left on the internet. "

It is also necessary to choose the doctor most suited to your needs: for a pregnancy follow-up one can call on a midwife or a medical gynecologist but for childbirth, we turn to a gynecologist-obstetrician who, S 'He does not always provide full monitoring of pregnancy, will see you at least for the last pregnancy exam.

How much is a consultation?

If you go to a Gynecologist approved by sector 1, the price will be set at 30 euros because it is in direct access.Unlike most other specialties, for gynecology, you don't need to be addressed by your attending physician.In sector 2, the exceeding of fees will depend on each practitioner.If the doctor in question has not signed the OPTAM (a contract signed between health insurance and deigned doctors), then the basic consultation will be reimbursed by 23 euros, if not 30 euros.

Can we consult a midwife instead of a gynecologist?

Yes.Midwives are empowered to take care of young girls and women in monitoring a pregnancy or for part of the gynecological monitoring, but within the limits of physiology-if the latter detect a pathology, they must send theirpatient to a doctor.