The biggest misconception that people today have is that you should only see the doctor when something is seriously wrong with you. However, this could not be further away from the truth. When you see a doctor of any kind, it just means that you are taking responsibility of your body. You are being careful and preventing any kind of mishap that may happen due to negligence.

However, a lot of people don’t see it that way. They believe that it is a waste of time and money. At RMC, we understand the value of your time and that is why we have put in fast track procedures to ensure that your health doesn’t eat away on your time.

Why should you visit a gynecologist?

A gynecologist is the doctor of female reproductive health. When you visit a gynecologist, you get to:

• Understand your body in a clearer way and help to protect it
• Get an idea about what your body should normally behave like so that you can immediately tell if there is any anomaly occurring and identify infections
• Enable the doctor to diagnose problems at an initial stage so that they can treat it effectively
• Become aware about vaginal discharge, what it should ideally look like and get to know if the discharge is not normal
• Understand how to practice safe sex and ensure your own as well as your partner’s health
• Understand your fertility and help in boosting it
• Get to know the development of your baby in its prenatal stages
• Identify any symptoms of anomaly in the fetus and treat it immediately

A gynecologist can understand if you are going through any problems and can help you get over them easily. It is best to have the same gynecologist over the years so that they can know your health history and offer treatment to you that are safe and most suited to your body.

When should you see a gynecologist?

Ideally, a girl should start visiting a gynecologist right from the age of 13 or just after she starts getting her menstrual cycles. This will help the doctor determine the exact condition that her body is in and advise her on how best she can nurture herself to grow healthier and stronger.

However, in case you have any of the following issues, you should too visit the gynecologist/ obstetrician immediately.

• Any problem pertaining to pregnancy, fertility, menstruation, and menopause
• Anything to do with contraception, sterilization, and pregnancy termination
• Any tissue related issue around the pelvic organs, including ligaments and muscles
• STIs
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• urinary and fecal incontinence
• non-threatening yet disturbing conditions of the reproductive tract like breast disorders, vulvar and vaginal ulcers, fibroids, ovarian cysts  and other non-cancerous changes
• premalignant conditions which include endometrial hyperplasia, and cervical dysplasia

You must also visit the doctor in case you have any suspicion of cancers of the reproductive tract and the breasts. The doctor should also be consulted for pregnancy-related tumours. In many cases, the patient experiences congenital abnormalities of the female reproductive tract. If such observations are made, you should still speak to your gyno.

Speaking to the doctor in emergency situations with respect to anything in the reproductive area should be attended to with utmost care. Endometriosis is a chronic condition that harms the reproductive system. The female pelvis too might be affected with inflammatory diseases which may include abscesses. In such conditions too, you must not hesitate in speaking to your gynecologists at Regency Medical Centre.

Inhibitions in speaking to a doctor

It is common for females to feel shy and have inhibitions when it comes to private parts and the reproductive system. In fact, owing to the kind of stigma that is attached to female sexuality, sometimes, females feel troubled in discussing these things openly.

Please understand that regardless of the kind of stigma attached to sex, your health takes precedence over everything. Doctors at RMC maintain absolute doctor-patient confidentiality. Feel free to discuss any problems that you might be facing with respect to same-sex or even bisexual relationships. If there is any kind of sexual dysfunction, you can speak to our doctors about that as well.

Reproductive health affects a lot of other parts of our body. Sometimes the symptoms might not be related simply to the private parts and might manifest in the form of headaches, mood changes, irritable bowel, lower back pain and skin problems like acne and moles. Speaking to your doctor in time will help you get over all of this.

At Regency Medical Centre, we pride ourselves in having one of the best gynaecological facilities in Tanzania. Feel free to get an appointment for our doctors or walk-in. We are always there to help you. A healthy woman is the most important asset to the family and the nation as a whole and we are committed to keeping you healthy and safe always.