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Physical examinations can be embarrassing but they are an important part of a sexual health check-up. Your doctor will do his/her best to make sure you feel comfortable. You may want to consider whether you feel more comfortable undergoing a physical examination by a male or female, and therefore choose your HHMP doctor accordingly.
If you have concerns about a physical examination, discuss these with your doctor beforehand. Your HHMP doctor can explain what the procedure will involve.
A physical examination might involve:
- genital examination;
- swabs (long cotton bud) from the cervix, vagina or rectum, tip of the penis or back of the throat;
- blood tests for STIs;
- urine tests for STIs; and
- pap smear (smear taken from the neck of the womb) for early screening of cancer.
Remember you can say no to having any of these tests or have them at your next visit. Your HHMP doctor may recommend tests if he/she believes there's a chance you have an STI.
Follow up
If tests are taken, then it is important that you return to your doctor for follow up. This allows you to find out the results of the test. Sometimes you may be able to get the results by phoning but for some STIs, such as HIV, your doctor will require you to attend in person.
If you have had symptoms, returning for follow up allows your HHMP doctor to monitor your treatment.
Informing partners
If you do have an STI, it is often important to work out who else you have recently had sex with. This is so that your sexual partner/s can go and visit their doctor to get tested. This helps in reducing the continual spread of STIs.
Generally you will be asked to tell your sexual contacts yourself, but you may choose to ask your HHMP doctor to make contact instead. If your doctor makes contact with your sexual partner/s your HHMP doctor will respect your confidentiality and not reveal your name or identity to your partner/s.
Whether your partner/s need to be contacted depends on many factors including which STI you have and even whether it is possible to trace your sexual partner/s.
Your HHMP doctor will advise you on whether you should not have sex while your STI is treated or if the use of condoms or stopping specific sexual activities will protect your partners.
FURTHER SEXUAL HEALTH INFORMATION
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