3 Things You Shouldn't Do Before Your Appointment With A Gynecologist

There are various reasons why you might have scheduled an appointment with a gynecologist. You could be going in for a standard pap smear or an STD test, or you could be going with the plan of having a pregnancy test done. Regardless of why you're going, you probably want to make sure that your appointment goes well. These are a few things that you should not do before your appointment with the gynecologist if you want things to go well.

1. Have Sex

First of all, it's best to avoid having sex the night before your appointment. This is important for a few reasons. It can make it difficult for your gynecologist to do a thorough exam, and it can also cause inaccurate test results. To help ensure that your gynecologist is able to do the exam properly and to help ensure that your test results come out as they should, abstaining from sex for a day or two before your exam is usually best.

2. Use Topical Medication

Some types of topical medication, such as cream for a yeast infection, can be helpful for at-home treatments. However, it's best to avoid using them for a few days before your appointment. After all, again, the creams or other types of medications can affect your gynecologist's ability to do a thorough exam and can skew test results. These medications can also cause an imbalance of healthy bacteria. Additionally, beginning to use a new medication on top of a different type of medication, such as if you have been using a store-bought yeast medication but will be asking for a prescription from your doctor, can cause side effects.

3. Use a Douche

You might think that using a douche is a good way to clean yourself up before going in for an intimate examination. However, douches are generally considered to be harmful, since they can kill healthy bacteria. Of course, you will probably want to clean yourself before going to your appointment. However, using water and a gentle soap should do the trick; there is no reason to use a potentially harmful douche. Additionally, this is yet another thing that can have an effect on your test results.

As you can see, there are a few things that you should not do before your appointment with a gynecologist, such as George L Stankevych, MD. If you avoid these things, you can help ensure that your appointment goes as it should.

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