How do different nations approach a girl's first gynecological exam

Some of you may be interested to read the handout prepared for doctors by Assoc Prof Margaret Davy and Dr Shorne, "Cervical cancer screening" in "Australian Doctor" 27/7/2006....
"No country in the world has shown a reduction in the incidence of or the mortality from cervical cancer in women under 30, irrespective of cervical screening. Many countries do not perform cervical screening in women under 30"....
We have known for a long time though that screening women under 30 results in great worry and harm producing very high numbers of false positives that often lead to potentially harmful over-treatment.
Also, see the hypothetical question at the end of the article...women over 30 with a negative HPV test who are no longer sexually active or in a monogamous relationship will still be tested because screening is about populations, not individuals and doctors can't assume her risk profile won't change...
Of course, I believe women should be given honest and complete information and left to make their own healthcare decisions - it's not a doctor's place to "assume" anything about my life....that's paternalistic.

Also, it's 88% of cervical lesions that do not progress to cervical cancer - the lifetime risk of this cancer is 0.65% and fewer than that number are helped after you take out false negative cases and factor in the other things that are having an impact on the cancer - more hysterectomies, fewer women smoking, less STD, better hygiene, better condoms etc

Some of you might also care to listen to an interesting lecture given by Prof Michael Baum at UCL recently, "Breast cancer screening: the inconvenient truths"...at the Medphyzz site.
It is totally unacceptable that the medical profession have zero respect for informed consent in our cancer screening.

It's not like that in all other countries, everywhere in europe you get pelvic exams when you want to and even they encourage you to do one every six months. It's only England that is backward, they don't exam woman ever! even during pregnancy!

You should do some reading, routine pelvic exams are of poor clinical value and expose you to risk. Dr Carolyn Westhoff partly blames this exam for America's high hysterectomy rates and the removal of healthy ovaries after false positive exams. There are many articles covering this topic.
Women should understand what they're agreeing to....it can lead to some ugly places.
Also, on the subject of pap testing the new Dutch program is very interesting. This is one country that has managed to keep their program directed on woman, and what's best for them. They will move from their 6-7 pap test program, 5 yearly from 30 to 60 to 5 hrHPV primary triage tests offered at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and only the roughly 5% who test HPV positive will be offered a 5 yearly pap test. The vast majority are HPV negative, not at risk and they will be offered the HPV program and there is also a self test HPV device, the Delphi Screener. Those HPV negative and confidently monogamous or no longer sexually active may choose to forget all further testing. This program will save scarce health resources, save more lives and spare huge numbers from a lifetime of unnecessary pap testing and the risk of over-treatment and excess biopsies.
Some countries may never offer women evidence based screening, excess generates huge profits...women will have to demand smarter testing. There was never a need to worry and harm so many women, now there is no excuse....
HPV Today, Edition 24, sets out the new Dutch program
The Delphi Bioscience site provides info on the self test HPV device.
So far from being backward, a country or doctor that does not promote unhelpful and harmful exams and excess is acting in your best interests...and internal exams during a normal pregnancy are unnecessary as well. Excess is not a good thing and just exposes you to risk....I consider it bad medicine.

I think your single mindedness diatribe is dangerous. But continue to parrot your beliefs and have the preventable illnesses and deaths of the women you counsel on your shoulders. Hope it helps you sleep at night.

I am a 21 year old from the UK. I have never been sexually active and have never had a pelvic exam or had any other kind of intimate procedure performed on me by a doctor. Here girls are not expected or pressured into having such exams unnecessarily. I have three doctors in my immediate family - one of which is a gynaecologist and none of them see any reason for a perfectly healthy girl such as myself to have to undergo such a procedure unless there are related medical problems such as very painful periods and even then any abnormalities that may be causing such problems can usually be picked up on ultrasound scan - which in the UK (where healthcare is free) would normally be the first course of action after a consultation with a gynaecologist anyway. Personally, I would have found it traumatic if I had had to endure a pelvic exam as a young teenager (plus many of my friends feel the same way) - Sorry but this American way seems some what disturbing to us Brits!
Also here all girls are given vaccinations against cervical cancer anyway.

And how do you think vaccines against cervical cancer were even thought of?

How do different nations approach a girl's first gynecological exam

i'm guessing they approach from the ankles and work their way up

I find this really odd, considering Americans are often, and by that I mean almost always, portrayed as backwards, prudish, and overall repressed about anything relating to sexual matters, sexual health as compared to the infinitely more progressive and sophisticated Europeans.

"Endure" a pelvic exam? What's to endure? It's essentially no different than a physician/nurse practitioner/nurse looking inside a persons mouth, probing around the insides of the cheeks, around the teeth, tongue, tonsils etc. and scraping off some cells for examination.

Why is it different because it's a part of my body that just happens to be between my legs rather than the middle of my face?

A pap no different and no more uncomfortable than having someone look up your nostril. My doctors have looked up my nostrils during every routine exam, why not my vagina?

When I was a lab tech trainee, the last thing I wanted to do was dig in people's nostrils, which I then did. My problem was not the repulsion, I already caught the early morning **** cups, and yes I washed my hands though I never touched any of it, but from fear of hurting someone. Those might have been different lab watches.

I presume there are better methods now.

From the earlier part of the thread there is a fair amount of people against pelvic exams, exams from which has gathered statistics have helped.

That is not my view.

If pelvic exams were forced, this would be another discussion. They aren't.
While were on the topic, what the hell do Gynaecologists do in the UK. They don't deliver babies, they leave that up to midwives? What pray tell is their purpose?

Hi, Ceili.

I'm interested in all this but it's late here now.

I should explain. I get earlier than naturally would becuase of Furface.

I am amazed at what I'm reading here below! I'm presuming that most of these are written by men? I was one of the women that was molested by Dr. Social Path, Peter Plum! Sociopathic behavior is very interesting! The men are usually extremely charming, come across as kind and loving and caring then, as most predators attack their prey, they have gained their trust. When you are a woman you believe that Dr. especially one who is taken time to come across as an angel!

What this man did to me was on believable and sick and the chiropractor they touch your body, they palpitate your spine. In many cases with the dozens of women that he has ruined their lives, you do not expect this from someone who so sickly manipulate you into trusting him. How dare all of you make the woman at fault once again how common! To all of you shame shame on you!

There are so many women coming forth that it is sickening and the Lawrenceville police have a strong case against this bastard. Shame again on you again, how would you feel that that was your daughter you ignorant ignorant people!

I will be going to court and I have proof without a doubt! He will lose his chiropractic license as he should and God help the women's lives he's destroyed. Mine, being one of them!

Canada has now gone very much the way of the Dutch program re pap testing.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/01/07/cervical-cancer-pap-hpv-test.html