Should Annual Routine Pelvic Examinations Go the Way of the Dinosaurs?

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Most women will readily testify that pelvic examinations are unpleasant experiences; they can be physically painful and induce anxiety. But recent studies have also indicated that examinations of asymptomatic, average-risk woman may lead to unexpectedly high rates false positives and unnecessary followup tests. So the perennial question resurfaces: are routine pelvic examinations more trouble than they're worth? Join Dr. Matt Birnholz and guest Dr. Hannah Bloomfield, Chief of Research at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, speaking at ACOG’s annual scientific meeting. They focus on the latest research behind this question of whether routine pelvic examinations are really necessary for monitoring patient health, and the potential pros and cons of abandoning this practice in annual OB/GYN checkups.