UK only please: I'll be visiting my GUM clinic for an infection i have as i can't get to see my own doctor..?
But i do have an infection and from what i can gather from checking info on various websites, it looks like i have BV! I'm gutted as this is a very embarrasing infection.
If i go to a GUM clinic, is it necessary to have an examination done? Can i just tell the doctor what i think is wrong and ask for a prescription? Or can he refuse to write a prescription because he hasn't examined me?
Answer:
like the lady before me has said, you will need to be examined. a doctor won't and can't take your word for it about what's wrong with you, and then prescribe medicine. if he gave you the wrong thing, or your diagnosis was completely wrong, then you could be much worse off.
it's best to get examined so your doctor can see for himself what the problem is and then you can go from there.
i'm sure many doctor's have seen far worse things than you have, and at least you're sensible enough to make a gum appointment to get it sorted out. it's worth the embarrassment you might feel, but try not to worry about it too much and it will all be over quicker than you know it.
I'm sorry chick you need to be examined and maybe a swab taken, the embarrassment only lasts a minute of your life so well worth it to be cured
1. Go have your smear test. Whether or not you are sexually active has no bearing on this examination. If this is your first one, then it is the start of an ongoing record of the cells of your cervix. By using this first test, if there are any changes years down the road, there will be a record for comparison. Also, if there are any abnormalities present, this will be detected and caught early on. Think of it this way, if you have pre-cancerous cells which go undetected because you are embarrassed about getting a smear test, how will you feel if something goes wrong and you find out it was preventable if you'd had a screening in the first place. Your health isn't worth the gamble.
2. If you have a bacterial infection, then you must go to the GUM clinic and have them take a culture. It may not be what you've researched and it is better to be treated properly than, once again, succomb to embarrassment and play with your health.
3. You may request a female doctor when you go to the GUM. I do that and it has never been a problem.
Youll be surprised how easy it is to get examined, dont worry!! The doctor will have seen it a thousand times before. You cant really trust the internet to help you diagnose yourself. Jus put up with the 5 minutes of embarressment, after all its going to make you better. You are bound to need these kind of examinations from time to time, so just do it now, the sooner you experience it the better. Youll probably wonder afterwards what all the fuss was about!
hi you don't have to be sexually active to need a smear test done, they check for abnormal cells in your cervix which could cause cancer, but if found early can be easily treated to stop this from developing, i have just had my first smear test, it doesn't hurt, just a bit embarrassing, its done by a female nurse and takes a few Min's, its not the best experience I've had by far but i highly recommend you have one done, sooner rather than later. if you go to the doctors they may be able to tell what the problem is just by the symptoms you give, but more than likely they will test your urine and do a swab of your vaginal wall ( similar to a smear test) and send it to the lab, then give you the results in a few weeks. if you go to the gum clinic they will probably do the same but may give you the results the same day depending on what facilities they have.
There is nothing to be embarrassed about , try to see a lady doctor if that makes you more at ease and just remember all girls and woman have internal examinations including the doctor or nurse who will be carrying out yours.
They have same examination done to them as you will have so they know you will be slightly embarrassed, it is better to be healthy than embarrassed surely.
If you have never been sexually active you have no place in a GUM clinic. Go see your GP. He will, as will ANY doctor need to examine you and take a swab, before considering a prescription.
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