Because shyness prevents many women from daring to see a doctor for an “internal examination” since such an examination significantly invades privacy to an extent many are uncomfortable with anyone seeing. In addition, fear of pain and many other aspects, especially in virgins who have never married or given birth before.
Problems encountered during internal examination
- Many cases have abnormalities of the internal organs, which are crucial for reproduction.
- Individuals who are married and have difficulty conceiving or have certain sexually transmitted diseases.
- The worst case is having Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can develop into cancer cells, leading to cervical cancer. Thai women rank first in cervical cancer cases.
To prevent your internal problems, women aged 30 and above should see a doctor for an internal exam to know if there are any problems. If there are, they can be addressed on time for better health.
Diseases that necessitate internal examination
Women can have many diseases related to the following 7 organs:
- Ovary
- Fallopian Tube
- Uterus
- Endometrium
- Cervix
- Vagina
- Outside Genital Organs
Only through internal examination can abnormalities be identified, such as Chocolate cysts, which are a leading cause of painful periods and infertility, which many women suffer from.
Chocolate cysts
Chocolate cysts are a condition of the abnormal growth of the endometrial tissue. When endometrial tissue sticks to the ovaries and bleeds similarly to menstruation but does not exit the body, it becomes trapped inside. Over time, it becomes a thick brown liquid similar to chocolate, hence the name chocolate cysts.
Internal organs related to various diseases
- Ovaries: Can develop ovarian cancer, across all ages from childhood, reproductive age, middle age, and elderly.
- Uterus: Can develop benign tumors, which are not cancer, found in about 60% of women in general, but it depends on the size or abnormalities if any treatment is required. Moreover, diseases related to the uterine muscles that can progress to cancerous tumors are included.
- Inside endometrial layer: If the endometrial layer inside grows abnormally thick, it can lead to abnormal bleeding during periods or may develop into endometrial cancer.
- Cervix: Normal tumors at the cervix are not as frightening as cervical cancer.
Internal examination is more important than you think
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer found in women, which is detected through internal examination. Also, other internal organ systems such as the uterus, ovaries, etc., can have chronic period pain, difficulty conceiving, or even life-threatening conditions such as cancer.
“These organs are not like other closed systems which are less disturbed by external factors. But the reproductive organs of women are disturbed by external factors, namely sexual intercourse, resulting in substantial changes and expansions, especially during childbirth, which increases risks of various conditions. If one has never had sexual intercourse, the chance of developing cervical cancer is almost zero. However, ovaries and endometrium might still develop abnormalities. Hence, this illustrates the benefits of internal examination.”
Preparing for an internal examination
Women hardly need to prepare anything except avoid scheduling during menstruation. Before the exam, the doctor will ask for your medical history, such as sexual activity, marital status, and childbirth history, to choose the appropriate method and size of medical instruments. In cases of no prior sexual activity, smaller medical instruments are used, etc. The examination takes no more than 10 minutes each time, with the doctor sending the collected cells to the laboratory for further tests or to ultrasonography or computer tomography depending on individual abnormalities.
Method of internal examination
For the examination method, the patient will change into a gown and use a small, flat, duckbill-shaped instrument inserted gently into the vagina to open and view the cervix. Then, a tool will collect cells from the cervix for further examination of abnormalities. Throughout every step, there will be nurses, mostly female, in the room.
“In cases where a patient is married and has children, the doctor may use a finger to insert into the vagina to lift the uterus while the other hand feels the abdomen to determine if the uterus is enlarged or painful anywhere. Because some diseases, such as abnormal growth of the endometrial tissue, might not have developed into a large cyst yet but still cause significant pain due to the disease spreading to a nerve area or behind the uterus where movement occurs like at the juncture between the uterus and the large intestine causing significant pain during defecation or menstruation due to this examination method, it is possible to detect lumps, bumps, or any pain.”
Modern women’s lifestyle
Common internal diseases in women include:- Vaginal discharge
- Abnormal bleeding
- Irregular or light periods
- Period pain
- Lower abdominal pain
- Abnormal growth of the endometrial tissue
“Regarding common vaginal discharge, it refers to the mucus discharge from the vagina. It’s normal because it acts as a lubricant, but if it becomes inflamed due to infections such as fungi, bacteria, or parasites, it’s not serious but bothersome, causing itching, odor, or excessive mucus. Any deviation from one’s usual bodily functioning is considered abnormal, such as vaginal discharge accompanied by itching, odor, or excessive mucus, demanding consultation with a doctor for further examination of abnormalities.”
Live life away from disease
- Avoid smoking, as tar and nicotine enter the bloodstream.
- Maintain adequate hygiene.
- Avoid changing sexual partners.
- Avoid using perfumed sanitary pads; they absorb moisture but block air circulation, promoting the growth of infections like fungi. It’s advisable to change pads frequently during menstruation, at least every 3 hours.
