Sexual Health | Approach to patient | Female Genital Examination

Female Genital Examination
Session Overview
Description
This session will demonstrate practical aspects of examination of the female genitalia for the purposes of cervical cytology and sexually transmitted infection testing, and pelvic pain assessment.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe a systematic approach to the genital examination of a female patient
• Set up equipment appropriate for genital examination
• Describe the anatomical features and normal variants of female genitalia
• Describe the procedure for, and pitfalls of, speculum examination
• Know how to take specimens for cytology and swabs for STI diagnosis
• Describe the techniques and limitations of bimanual examination

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete the following:

• Module 1/Chaperones and Consent (260-0012)

Facilities for female genital examination vary widely from optimal, fully-equipped establishments to clinics with minimal resources.

Whatever your clinical setting, this guide aims to help you make the best of the facilities at your disposal. Wherever you work, the main aims must be:

• to ensure the patient’s physical comfort, privacy and support
• to position the patient for optimal lighting and inspection
• to take the correct samples swiftly and efficiently
• to cause the least discomfort consistent with adequate examination
• to adjust or reduce the extent of examination dependent on the patient’s physical disability or mental distress

Whilst examination is easiest in a dedicated gynaecology couch - almost all the clinical photography has been taken in this position - this guide will also demonstrate the limitations and optimisation of examination with less-than-ideal equipment.