Pelvic Exam I: Assessment of the External Genitalia

Source:
Alexandra Duncan, GTA, Praxis Clinical, New Haven, CT
Tiffany Cook, GTA, Praxis Clinical, New Haven, CT
Jaideep S. Talwalkar, MD, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

The pelvic exam can feel invasive to patients, so it is important to do everything possible to make patients feel comfortable and empowered, rather than vulnerable. Clinicians should be aware of how they are communicating, both verbally and nonverbally, and should give their patients control whenever possible. There are many ways to do this, from how the exam table is positioned to how the patient is engaged throughout the exam. As many as 1 in 5 patients may have experienced sexual trauma; therefore, it is important to avoid triggering those patients, but it's not always possible to know who they are. The exam in this video demonstrates neutral language and techniques that can be employed with all patients to create the best experience possible.

It's important to keep the patient covered wherever possible and to minimize extraneous contact. A clinician should be careful to tuck fingers that aren't being used to examine the patient to avoid accidental contact with the clitoris or anus.

Before performing the pelvic examination, examiners should find out how knowledgeable the patients are about the exam and their own bodies, and establish the expectation that the patients can communicate questions or concerns throughout the exam. While it is always important to avoid extremely clinical language, certain colloquial words can cross the line from caring to overly intimate during this exam. It is helpful to avoid the words "touch" and "feel," which can feel sexualized in this context; instead, the words "assess," "check," "inspect," or "examine" should be used. The words "bed" and "sheet" should be avoided, and "table" and "drape" should be used instead. Also, a clinician should use the word "footrests" rather than "stirrups" to avoid connoting horses. It's a good idea to avoid telling patients to "relax," because it's a hard order for a patient to follow when anxious. Asking patients to "soften" or "release" specific muscles can be more useful, and having a patient do a Kegel exercise or Valsalva maneuver can serve as a specific relaxation technique.

Best practice dictates avoiding assumptions about patients' gender, as patients with female anatomy may identify as another gender (e.g., transgender or genderqueer). This video depicts the approach to a patient whose history has revealed no specific complaints or risk factors related to gynecological health.

The pelvic exam consists of three parts: the visual and manual exam of the external genitalia, a speculum exam, and a bimanual exam. This video covers the introduction to the pelvic exam and the external genitalia exam. To avoid missing potential findings, the external pelvic exam should be performed in a systematic approach consisting of two main components: a visual inspection of the vulva (Figure 1), and internal palpation and assessment of glands and tone.

Figure 1. Diagram of the vulva. A diagram showing external genitals with the structures labelled.