Everything you need to know about visiting the Ob-Gyn

Bimanual Rectovaginal Examination

Now for the the rectovaginal examination. I have experienced OB-GYN visits where this part of the examination was excluded entirely. This is not acceptable. Many people would like to avoid this rectal exam due to discomfort and fear but should not, as many polyps are discovered rectally and this small part of the exam could save your life. In this final part of the exam, the doctor will be inserting their index finger into the vagina, and at the same time, inserting their middle finger into the rectum. Again, they should alert you that the exam is about to begin. Reestablish the tactile signal. They place the forefinger at the entrance to the vagina and middle finger at the entrance to the rectum. While you may feel some discomfort, you should not feel any pain. Take a deep breath as they bear down as if you are having a bowel movement, in order to relax the anal sphincter. They then insert both fingers. Again, they palpate the uterus and ovaries. In a woman with a retroverted uterus, the uterus may be easier to palpate from this position. They then palpate the posterior rectal wall, then in a sweeping motion, palpate the septum between the two fingers and finally remove the fingers smoothly, and again remove gloves, holding hand down and turning glove inside out. Then they discard the gloves and wash their hands again.

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