Women seeking birth control get unneeded pelvic exams

[102bb]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many doctors require that women have a pelvic exam before they can get a prescription for birth control pills, despite guidelines saying that the step is unnecessary, a new study finds

Comments

[apricotflower]

VP and other places are full of women wanting to get BC but having trouble with pelvic exams for various reasons, and thus being unable to get BC from their doctors. It's an unnecessary barrier that doesn't serve anyone (except maybe the wallets of some doctors? According to the insurance reimbursement scheme).

[roseofjuly]

My gynecologist just told me about this the last time I went, that I did not have to have a pelvic to get birth control. She also was the first to tell me that I didn't have to get a Pap smear every year, once I've had 3 normal ones. I've been going to gynecologists for 6 years; you'd think someone would've shared this with me by now. I also had my first Pap at 18, not 21.

It's kind of disgusting that the reasoning might be money.

[pythia]

I was always told that you shuold start having smears when you're 18 or once you're sexually active, whichever comes first.

[deird1]

Whereas I'm 28 and have never had one...

[tamerterra]

I'm 21 and I've had one, and that was only because I was having an IUD fitted and they wanted to poke around a bit beforehand anyway (what size is your uterus, &c).

[freakshownia]

After I moved I went to PP for my next Depo shot, and they wouldn't give one without an exam even though I'd been on it for years and had an exam done by my previous doctor less than a year ago. And what if you can afford the BC, but not the exam? Ugh.

[andnightsgrow]

mb the actual article mentions this (migraine ugh sorry if i missed it), but jw how many women actually know that you DON'T need a pelvic exam for bc? i know the first gyno appt i ever had at 16 to get bc, i went in absolutely terrified of a pelvic exam and then the doctor was like "...lol you don't actually need one" and when i asked a few of my friends about it they said they'd always thought the pelvic exams were mandatory too, whether you were sexually active or not

idk, maybe a case of under-education and the doctors not bothering to educate because hay, as long as they get paid! :(