Mz. Pink,
I’ve never been to a Gynecologist. How important is it for me to go see one? Since I don’t have sex with men is it necessary to go?
Pap Fear
Read my answer by clicking read more ——————->
Dear Pap,
It is extremely important to go to the lady doctor or a gynecologist. Just because you don’t have sex with men, does not mean you aren’t susceptible to different types of cancers, STDs and other infections.
In an article I found from the Government of Western Australia Department of Health, at www.health.wa.gov.au the very question you posed to me was discussed. Here’s what they had to say:
Do lesbians need Pap smears?
Yes, lesbians need Pap smears too. There is no evidence to show that HPV infection rates are lower in lesbians. Rates of cervical abnormalities for lesbians are also similar to heterosexual women.
HPV is spread through genital skin to skin contact, including female to female sex. Also, some lesbians may have had sex with men at some time in their lives, as may have their partners.
Tips for making it easier to have a Pap smear:
1.) Find a lesbian-friendly health care provider.
2.) Think about how you will answer questions about your sexuality.
3.) Ask your partner or a friend to come to the appointment with you.
You can also ask that your sexuality is not recorded unless it is relevant to your health care.
HPV is not the only worry for women; infections can be contracted from partners who do not wash their hands or just from PH balances fluctuating. It is important to have a gynecologist just in case you have any questions that may arise in regards to your health.
STDs can also be passed from woman to woman, and while it is less likely in lesbian sex it is very possible and does happen. Safe sex should be taken seriously in the lesbian community as with any other community. For example, dental dams, finger cots and condoms (for sex toys, duh!) should be used and hygiene should be kept up for safer sex.
And last but by no means least; partners need to be honest with each other. You don’t need to give each other the third degree about each other’s sexual past, but if you think you’ve been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection or have exposed your partner to an STI then you owe it to that other person to communicate that, so the appropriate medical treatment can be obtained, and to abstain from sexual activity until the condition has been cleared up,” wrote the nuns at Order of Perpetual Indulgence (www.the- sisters.org.uk). This site is amazing and also shares an extremely long list of diseases and infections that lesbians can pass back and forth to each other. Again, I stress the importance of an annual exam.
Here is what happens when you go for your exam:
—Basic doctor visit stuff: blood pressure, weight, height, etc.
—You will be asked to disrobe and to dress in the fabulous attire of a paper sheet and hospital gown.
—A physical will be conducted that includes a breast exam and checking of the abdomen all for irregularities.
—Then you will have to lay with your legs in stirrups in order for the doctor to check your goods. A speculum will be inserted into your vagina to hold open the vaginal walls in order to collect a sample of your cervical tissue with a cotton swab (pap test), and so the doctor can view your vaginal walls and cervix.
Unless you receive any other testing that is it for the exam! It might seem like a lot, but most gynecologists are (pardon the pun) in and out like nobody’s business!
If you’re still in the air about whether or not to visit a gynecologist, let me tell you that there is nothing to fear — especially if you go when needed. If you’re afraid to go, it’s understandable, it’s uncomfortable, but so is Chlamydia. Which would you rather have?
Most infections and diseases can be cured with medicine and treatment if caught in time. And so yes, lesbians are in that bracket of needing to be checked and needing to take care of themselves. Go and have it done!
Mz. Pink
