We absolutely loathe all forms of generalisation when it comes to women, but there is one that (from the very standpoint of women) we feel we can share. Basically, we can divide women into two categories: those who consider a gynaecological examination to be a very bothersome invasion of their intimacy and those who consider is a totally anonymous, hence reassuring, procedure.
The former group comprises women who dwell, the whole time, on the ridiculous position they find themselves in, thinking about anyone who might see them; those who cannot bear anything going on around them as they are, literally, naked before a stranger, either man or woman (by the way, being examined by another woman doesn’t necessarily make things easier).
The latter group includes the so-called pragmatists, the ones who think that the person examining them has seen female intimate parts so many times that they no longer stare at them; they merely look at them from a medical stance – and that’s something these women find somewhat relieving.
Whatever group you may belong to, there is only one certainty: choosing someone as your gynaecologist, namely a stranger to whom you entrust the health of your most intimate parts and who gets to find out a lot about you, is one of the greatest gestures of trust you can ever make. As with all physicians, reliability and trust are key elements, but a gynaecologist becomes a constant presence is some moments of your life (for example, during pregnancy) and is one of the doctors women visit most often.
Indeed, it is advisable to regularly undergo check-ups, never letting more than 12/18 months go by without being visited. Plus, if we consider that such a routine should begin with puberty or when you become sexually active (extending the gaps between checks to 24 months once you are no longer fertile – but not interrupting the routine) it is safe to say that you will be visiting your gynaecologist more than 50 times in your lifetime (and that does not include pregnancies or unforeseeable issues), which means you’ll get to see your gynaecologist more than you get to see some of your relatives!
That is why gynaecologists should be able to convey trust while also being reassuring. They must be professional, but not rigid. Striking such a balance is not easy but it is crucial for a specialist to whom we entrust our lives. Usually more than once.
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