Performing regular genital exams can help you better understand your body and learn what is normal for it. These exams can show you the physical changes that occur throughout the menstrual cycle. Regular self-exams are important because they increase the likelihood of discovering physical changes and abnormalities. This is important so that any changes can be…
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The Prostate Exam
What is the prostate? The prostate—a gland in men—plays an important role in the male reproductive system. It wraps around the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine away from the bladder and out of the body (the urethra also carries semen, the fluid containing sperm, out of the body during ejaculation), and secretes…
Annual Gynecological Exams: What to Expect
In order to maintain good reproductive and sexual health, females should visit a gynecologist- a doctor who specializes in females’ reproductive health- for an exam about once per year. Generally, females should begin seeing a gynecologist at the age of 21, but begin earlier if they become sexually active. After their first visit, females ages…
The Pap Smear
A Pap smear, also known as a Papanicolaou test or Pap test, is a procedure that checks for abnormal cells on the cervix.1 It is named after George Papanicolaou, M.D., who is credited for developing the Pap smear.2 The Pap smear drastically transformed how early cervical cancer can be detected in females.2 The cervix is…
Breast Self-Exam
Performing breast self-exams on a regular basis can help detect breast abnormalities at an early stage. Adult females (ages 20 and older) should perform breast self-exams (BSE) at least once per month. Regularly performing breast exams can help you become familiar with the look and feel of your breasts so that you can more easily…
Male Genital Self-Exam
The major regions of the male genitalia include the penis, scrotum, and urethra. A genital self-examination consists of physically and visually investigating for abnormalities. Maintenance of sexual health includes regular self-examination of the external genitalia. Individuals should perform self-examinations as often as possible to identify abnormal masses and avoid complications that may arise from conditions…