After becoming board-certified, a gynecologist may have advanced subspecialty training. Areas of training include:
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Gynecologists are doctors who have completed specialized training in the female reproductive system. Like any medical or osteopathic doctor, a gynecologist must complete medical school followed by a residency. In the United States, residency programs and the certification process cover obstetrics and gynecology in combination.
Some gynecologists also practice as obstetricians, who give care during pregnancy and birth. If a gynecologist has expertise in obstetrics, they’re called an OB/GYN.
They diagnose and treat reproductive system disorders such as endometriosis, infertility, ovarian cysts, and pelvic pain. They may also care for people with ovarian, cervical, and other reproductive cancers .
Gynecologists give reproductive and sexual health services that include pelvic exams, Pap tests, cancer screenings, and testing and treatment for vaginal infections.
Anyone with female organs may see a gynecologist. And 80% of those who see one are between 15 and 45 years old.
A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in female reproductive health. They diagnose and treat issues related to the female reproductive tract. This includes the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and breasts.
You wouldn't want to trust just anyone with the most sensitive parts of your body. That's why you need to think carefully about your choice of an OB/GYN.
Don't just randomly pull a doctor's name off your health insurance list. Get a referral from a friend, family member, or your primary care provider. Usually, your primary care provider can manage most screening procedures and will have a good referral resource if a specialist is needed.
As you're making a decision, consider whether you would prefer a male or female gynecologist. Some women are more comfortable going to a doctor who identifies as a woman because they will have to undress completely during the exam.
Meet with the OB/GYN before making a decision. Ask about their medical experience, certification, and attitude about important reproductive issues, like birth control.
Your questions might include:
Make sure you're completely comfortable before becoming a patient.
You may want to see a gynecologist if:
You’re Due for a Checkup
It’s important to have regular visits with your gynecologist to maintain your reproductive health. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, these visits should start between the ages of 13 and 15.
Depending on your health history and how old you are, your gynecologist may use this visit to screen for problems like cervical or breast cancer. The well visit is also your chance to ask the gynecologist about reproductive health concerns like birth control.
You Have Discomfort in Your Pelvic Region
Pain in the lower belly, also known as the pelvic region, may be a sign of a problem with the reproductive organs. Common causes of pelvic pain include menstrual cramps, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and ectopic pregnancy.
You Have Concerns about Your Period or Getting Pregnant
You can make an appointment with a gynecologist if you have changes in your monthly period, including unusual pain or bleeding. If you are in your 40s or 50s, your gynecologist can help you to figure out if you might be going through menopause.
Gynecologists can also help you with questions about pregnancy, including how to avoid getting pregnant and what to do if you think you might be pregnant.
You Have a Discharge You're Concerned About
If you’re having an unusual discharge or odor, a gynecologist can diagnose the cause and offer treatment.
Learn how researchers use biobanks, such as the Improved Pregnancy Outcomes by Early Detection study, or IMPROvED to improve maternal and newborn outcomes
A discussion about obstetric and gynecological researchers using “biobanks” to improve pregnancy outcomes.
See all videos for this articleobstetrics and gynecology, medical/surgical specialty concerned with the care of women from pregnancy until after delivery and with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the female reproductive tract.
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The medical care of pregnant women (obstetrics) and of female genital diseases (gynecology) developed along different historical paths. Obstetrics had for a long time been the province of female midwives (see midwifery), but in the 17th century, European physicians began to attend on normal deliveries of royal and aristocratic families; from that beginning, the practice grew and spread to the middle classes. The invention of the forceps used in delivery, the introduction of anesthesia, and Ignaz Semmelweis’s discovery of the cause of puerperal (“childbed”) fever and his introduction of antiseptic methods in the delivery room were all major advances in obstetrical practice. Asepsis in turn made cesarean section, in which the infant is delivered through an incision in the mother’s uterus and abdominal wall, a feasible surgical alternative to natural childbirth. By the early 19th century, obstetrics had become established as a recognized medical discipline in Europe and the United States.
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birth: Operative obstetrics
In the 20th century, obstetrics developed chiefly in the areas of fertility control and the promotion of healthy births. The prenatal care and instruction of pregnant mothers to reduce birth defects and problem deliveries was introduced about 1900 and was thereafter rapidly adopted throughout the world. Beginning with the development of hormonal contraceptive pills in the 1950s, obstetrician-gynecologists have also become increasingly responsible for regulating women’s fertility and fecundity. With the development of amniocentesis, ultrasound, and other methods for the prenatal diagnosis of birth defects, obstetrician-gynecologists have been able to abort defective fetuses and unwanted pregnancies. At the same time, new methods for artificially implanting fertilized embryos within the uterus have enabled obstetrician-gynecologists to help previously infertile couples to have children.
The obstetrician’s main tasks are to diagnose and bring a woman through pregnancy, deliver her child, and give the new mother adequate postnatal care. The most-important surgical operation performed by obstetricians is cesarean section. Episiotomy, a surgical procedure in which an incision is used to enlarge the vaginal opening to facilitate childbirth, is also common.
Gynecology as a branch of medicine dates back to Greco-Roman civilization, if not earlier. The renewal of interest in diseases of women is shown in the huge encyclopaedia of gynecology issued in 1566 by Caspar Wolf of Zürich. In the early and mid-19th century, physicians became able to successfully perform a limited variety of surgical operations on the ovaries and uterus. The American surgeon James Marion Sims and other pioneers of operative gynecology also had to combat the violent prejudice of the public against any exposure or examination of the female sexual organs. The two great advances that finally overcame such opposition and made gynecologic surgery generally available were the use of anesthesia and antiseptic methods. The separate specialty of gynecology had become fairly well established by 1880; its union with the specialty of obstetrics, arising from an overlap of natural concerns, began late in the century and has continued to the present day.
Gynecologists make routine examinations of cervical and vaginal secretions to detect cancer of the uterus and cervix. They perform two main types of surgical operations: repairing any significant injuries caused to the vagina, uterus, and bladder in the course of childbirth; and removing cysts and benign or malignant tumours from the uterus, cervix, and ovaries. The modern practice of gynecology requires skill in pelvic surgery, a knowledge of female urologic conditions, because the symptoms of diseases of the urinary tract and the genital tract are often similar, and skill in dealing with the minor psychiatric problems that often arise among gynecologic patients.
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The diagnosis and treatment of infertility are a combined obstetric-gynecologic effort.
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