Going to the gynecologist is never fun. You have to disclose your sexual history, take off your clothes, pee in a cup, put your legs up on that stirrup, and try to relax as the doctor probe your most intimate area. As much as I dread the annual examination, I know that that the basis to a happy sex life is a clean and healthy one.
My last trip to the gynecologist was horrible. Since I graduated I was no longer going to my school’s clinic so I found a new doctor near my home. It was my first time with a male doctor so I was a bit shy and cautious. While he was examining my uterus and pressing down on my abdomen, he made a casua
l comment about my stomach. He asks if I was athletic or was I simply flexing my muscles. It made me feel uncomfortable. Later, on back in his office I asked for an HIV test. After asking me questions about my sexual practices and history he determined that I was low-risk and didn’t really need to be tested. When I insisted he asked, “Would you really want to know? It could change your life.” I was stunned, here is a doctor taking light of my commitment to my sexual health. He proceeded to ask me “why I wanted to know” and told me that he, as a doctor, had a higher risk than me and he doesn't want to know. I stared at him, speechless. He casually smiled and then agreed to let me get tested without any explanation of his comments.
I left shocked and didn’t really understand the implications until days after. The harsh reality is that I can not simply rely on the 10-15 minutes I spend talking to my doctor as my only source for sexual health information. We should all be as informed as we possibly can so when our doctor, male or female, acts unprofessionally we can recognize it. Furthermore, having a basic background will help me have a stronger dialogue with my doctor and recognize sexually transmitted infections (STI or STD) earlier.
According to Amplifyyourvoice.org, young people ages 15-24 account for almost half of all STI cases in the United States – over 9 million a year. A recent study also found that one in four young women ages 15-19 has an STI. A major problem with STIs is that many of them have little or no symptoms until weeks or even months later. When complications and infections reach the second stage, it may be too late to control. For example Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because three quarters of infected women and half of infected men have no symptoms. The infection is frequently not diagnosed or treated until complications develop. Additionally as many as 70 percent of all sexually experienced people may have human papillomavirus (HPV) less than one percent of these infected people will develop visible warts. Syphillis appears like a pimple or open sore that appears 10-90 days after the bacteria enter the body. The sore disappears after three to six weeks. Another infection, Trichomoniasis or "trich" may have no signs at all.
When I asked for a STI or STD test, he made a note on the form for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. If I wanted the Herpes I or II test, I have to ask for it explicitly. Others infections can not be detected through a simple blood test. For example Trich and Syphillis may not be visible during your annual visit, but if you are cautious and observant on a daily basis then you can ask informed questions and raise concerns before your scheduled check-up.
Despite being low-risk, I still have the right to a HIV test. Mysistahs.org, a sexual health resource for young women of color, points to the disproportionate impact HIV has on women of color. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) found that Black women and Latinas account for 79 percent of all reported HIV infections among 13- to 19-year-old women and 75 percent of HIV infections among 20- to 24-year-old women in the United States although, together, they represent only about 26 percent of U.S. women these ages.
After knowing these facts, it is even scarier to know that my doctor was trying to deter me from getting tested. I realized that another barrier to a sexual health is finding the right doctor, which is hard to do because there is no centralized, trusted, and independent rating system. The most common way people pick their doctors is by location and sometimes they take recommendations from friends. After my bad trip to the gyn, it's become glaringly obvious that while regular check-up's are necessary, it's up to the woman to take control over her sexual health.
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