AIBU to think I don’t need to go to the gynaecologist every year?!

[Watchagotcha]

I live in France but am from the UK. I was out with some friends last night - some French, mostly Brits who’ve been here a lot longer than me. We got talking about various medical issues, and it transpires that pretty much all my friends go to see their gynaecologist every year! I’m not sure what for: smear tests, when they are due; breast exams; and just “making sure everything is okay”.

Is this really necessary? What kinds of conditions might they be picking up on that I wouldn’t notice and go to the dr with myself?

Do I need to see a gynaecologist yearly?
YABU = yes you do, the gynaecologist might find something that needs treated
YANBU = no, don’t be daft, go to the dr if you need to and get regular smears when they are due

Surely less traumatic than cancer treatment

Funnily enough, the thing I liked the least about cancer treatment was fitting the sheer amount of appointments in!

The level of care doesn't feel "excessive" to me

I assume you live in a country with regular checks, to me it seems over the top and unnecessary, surely that view is going to depend on how you've been brought up.

I thought in England we are struggling to train enough doctors, how are all these other countries training so many, are they all fully qualified doctors?

@veryvery

Not as far as I know, my male colleague just laughed when I asked him.

I guess I’ll have to do some research to try and find out whether annual checks = better health outcomes at a population level.

@spicysausageroll

It’s not so much that an annual gynaecology check up is offered here as such. It’s more that the majority of medical professionals here work independently - they aren’t linked to a hospital or anything. And to a great extent it’s the choice of the patient who, where and when they go to see. The process is that I would go to my GP with - say - a sore back. he would assess my situation and decide which specialist I needed to see. He would write a letter of referral and give it to me. I take this away, I choose my specialist (get recommendations from friends, online directories etc - tbh I usually choose one close to my house for convenience as they tend to be located all over the place, in offices) and I make an appointment at a time that’s convenient for me. So the whole system is very patient-driven, rather than sitting and waiting for a yearly appointment letter to arrive. With the gynaecologist, you can skip the GP referral and go straight to making an appointment.

I'm in France and go every year for a check up. It's reassuring to be on his books.

When I had a lump in a breast I got an appointment very quickly and an immediate referral for an ultrasound to check it out.

I'm not sure who else you would consult if you had a suspicion about a lump in your breast. GPs don't regularly do breast examinations so presumably are less used to how they feel.

Well it hasn't done anything to alter death by cervical cancer rates. The UK is the same as France and slightly better than the USA.

When I had a lump in a breast I got an appointment very quickly and an immediate referral for an ultrasound to check it out.

To check out an indentation on my breast uk I got an appointment same day with GP and a referral within two weeks at breast clinic where I had a physical exam, mammogram and ultrasound. Subsequently, after breast cancer, I can just ring breast clinic about any breast concerns and they will advise me immediately and see me usually within a few days and do an appropriate scan/examination. NHS England.

If it’s not necessary, why would you? Over diagnosis is a thing, and leads to unnecessary treatment. Happy to be corrected if their gynae cancer survival rates are significantly better than ours, and if it’s due to early diagnosis.

Also, my understanding is that a lot of cancers that are symptomless at a curative stage will not be detected by the sort of check up the OP mentions.

I think there are many things that a gynaecologist could pick up on that you wouldn't necessarily have symptoms for, and the sooner they're picked up on the better, no?

True but surely that argument applies to everything? Why not see a dermatologist, neurologist, audiologist, cardiologist....however many -ologists there are?

I live in Germany and have to go twice a year, I don't think its a bad thing, it's called preventative medicine, I get much better health care in Germany than I ever did, in England, Australia or the Netherlands.

surely that view is going to depend on how you've been brought up

It might do, but I am from the UK, and only moved to Europe when I was 30, so doesn't really apply in my case.

one of my school friends moved to the US and she seems to have a medical team of about 15 people she sees regularly, even though there’s nothing wrong with her.

I’ve no idea where she finds the time

The vast majorit of women in the UK never see a gynae. I don’t know anyone who has.

I’m another one in one of those countries where it’s normal to go to the gynae every year for a smear and breast exam. At first I was very like you and very institutionalised from the NHS of not getting care you don’t need but now I see the positives in it and am happy to go and get everything checked.

I did look up the mortality/morbidity rates for the two countries and actually it’s not better here but I still go along to my appt

What a waste of time, in my opinion. Why would you bother, unless you had a strong family history of something or other chronic/long term health conditions that may impact it. It feels very ridiculous to need to go to the doctor every year to get your female anatomy checked over if you’re not experiencing any pain or symptoms, regular cycle, not having difficulty TTC. Baffling.

Pressed send too soon - men, I imagine, aren’t going yearly for an examination of their penis, testes & prostate?!

it's called preventative medicine,

You have to remember, though, some things that are picked up and treated might have got better anyway, spontaneously, without any treatment.

Amanduh
Not even during pregnancy?

I go every year when I visit Spain (I’m Spanish)

Private doctors in Spain are everywhere and are very affordable, I get a breast exam, smear test and internal ultrasound to check uterus and ovaries, all for €60.

Why do people do it? As a form of prevention.

All my friends do it too.

Things work differently there both for women (always seen by gynaecologist) and children (always seen by paediatrician) , rather than first GP and then being referred. Every GP clinic has a paediatrician.

Apparently some countries don't do smears anymore and do a blood (or urine?)test instead which is less intrusive and just as effective.

Not even during pregnancy

No we see midwives and hospital consultants (obstetricians) in the antenatal department.

I think it's a bit weird that it's such a huge thing for women in so many countries but the equivalent isn't there for men. But if it's offered and it's free and not compulsory then it makes sense to get it.

I live in Asia and everyone gets a full checkup here every two years, basically a full day thing - blood and urine tests, colonoscopy, smear, breasts, balls, electrocardiogram on and on and on. It costs about $50 with insurance I think. Life expectancy is high, far fewer people dying of cancer and heart problems as they catch a lot of things early. Health insurance is less than $100 a month for most people, free if you are a stay at home parent or child.

They will definitely push additional treatments sometimes to bump up the charges, but it's mostly affordable and you can say no. You'll get the tests the same day too, no waiting around, totally at your convenience.

Pressed send too soon - men, I imagine, aren’t going yearly for an examination of their penis, testes & prostate?!

That's what I thought. Equally they aren't being quizzed about their contraceptive needs and performance issues! Even though that could indicate health issues such as heart problems.

Ah. My French gynaecologist is also an obstetrician and I saw him monthly during my pregnancies.
I only saw midwives for the birth!

It's very different here. We drive on the other side of the road too!

I think health care being insurance based is a factor. Health, then, becomes about risk factors instead of individual care. It means more check ups and invasive treatments regardless of a patients individual circumstances. If you were to opt out of anything I don't know whether in some cases insurance premiums would be affected.