Are Genital Inspection and Speculum Examination in Asymptomatic Women Clinically Valuable?

OB/GYNs view these practices as useful in routine healthcare, but supporting data are limited.

The clinical value of physical examinations in asymptomatic patients has been questioned. In 2014, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommended against screening genitourinary examinations in healthy nonpregnant women because of lack of benefit and potential for harm. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines recommend annual pelvic examinations in women aged ≥21, acknowledging that the evidence to support or refute this practice is limited.

In a study to assess the opinions of obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs) about routine genitourinary examinations, 521 OB/GYNs completed vignette-based surveys about the clinical importance of genital inspection and speculum examination. For all four hypothetical …

Reviewing Author

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Are Genital Inspection and Speculum Examination in Asymptomatic Women Clinically Valuable?

Topics

Reviewing Author