Family Planning Council: Reproductive Health: Visiting a Clinic

This is what happens when a female, whether she is 13, 25, 31 or 44 years old, goes to a family planning clinic:

Remember, if a words are highlighted in red, you can click on them and they will take you to a definition.

Going to a family planning clinic can be scary, but the staff will explain everything that will happen — and knowing what to expect can help you be less nervous. If it's important for you to see a female clinician, tell the person you make your appointment with.

Remember that the clinic staff is there to help you. Talk to them! Ask them questions!

When You Arrive
The Visit
Other Things You May Talk About
The Gynegological Exam

When you Arrive

First check in at the clinic front desk (if you have called to make an appointment, these may be the same people that you spoke to on the phone). You'll be asked your name You may be asked if you have an appointment. You will go to the clinic waiting room after checking in.

You can always walk in for information or to make an appointment. At some sites you can get a pregnancy test without an appointment. You may be asked if you have medical insurance.

You don't need insurance to be seen at a Title X funded family planning clinic.

Click here for a list of family planning providers in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania & surrounding areas.

If you have insurance it may pay for your visit.
Bring your insurance card (private coverage, Medical Access, and/or Medicaid) to the clinic with you.

The Visit

Every clinic has a different system to see patients. At some clinics you will see a counselor first, at other sites you see a lab tech, & at many sites you see a clinician first. Each way is fine.

Who will you meet? What will happen? One of the staff you will meet is the counselor. The counselor will ask you why you came to the clinic today. You or the counselor will complete any medical forms need for your visit. Everything you tell the clinic staff is confidential and private.This means that whatever you tell the clinic staff will not be shared with anyone outside of the clinic. If you are a new patient you will be asked about your medical history and personal information.

Medical history:
The clinic will ask about your family medical history.
Your health:
Have you been sick? Have you been told you have a serious illness?
Personal information:
The clinic will ask for your birthdate and a telephone number (or an address)
where the staff can reach you.

It is important for the clinic to have a way to contact you. Remember, the staff is very careful when they contact you.

They are very serious about confidentiality!

When they call they will only talk to you unless you say it's okay for them to talk to someone else (like your mom, dad, sister, roommate, or partner). If you ask them to, when they write to you they will use a plain envelope. The phone number you give can be your home, a relative's or friend's.

It is important to tell the counselor if you have any problems or concerns. Maybe you have questions about:

periods that aren't normal,

pain during sex,

vaginal discharge or discomfort,

body changes, "what's normal for my age."
Make sure you tell the counselor.

The counselor will talk to you about lots of things during your visit.

You may talk about birth control methods & condoms. They will ask:

if you need birth control

if you or your partner are currently using birth control

if you would like to talk about getting a form of birth control at today's visit
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Other Things You May Talk About

General health concerns

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Emergency Contraception

HIV

Abstinence

Date Rape

Pregnancy concerns

Violence Issues
The next person you may see is a Lab Technician. The lab technician will:

check your vital signs: blood pressure and weight,

take a blood sample to check for syphilis and your iron level for anemia,

test your urine for diabetes
If you think you might be pregnant, ask for a pregnancy test.

The Gynecological Exam

What will happen? Who does the exam? You may be placed in an examination room by one of the clinic staff. You will be asked to undress.(Some clinics will ask you to take everything off and give you a gown to put on — other clinics will ask you to take everything off from the waist down & they will give you a paper drape or sheet.) You will then sit on the exam table and wait. A trained medical professional, known as a clinician, will examine you. A clinician can be a:

doctor

nurse practitioner

physician assistant

nurse midwife
The clinician will review your medical history and ask you more questions. It is
important to answer the questions truthfully.

Remember that everything you tell the staff is confidential and private and
that the clinic staff cares about you and your health.

The questions they ask may seem personal, but they help the staff take care of
you. It's okay for you to ask the clinician questions! As the clinician does your
exam, they will explain what is happening throughout the exam. One of the
first things the clinician will do is have you lie down on your back on the exam
table and they will check your breasts.

The clinician is feeling for any lumps, bumps, or changes in your breasts.

They will explain what they are doing

and teach you to do a breast self-exam.
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A Basic Gynecological Exam

Since you are already lying down for your breast exam, you will need to slide down the table and put your feet in the footrests at the end of the table.

Step 1: First the clinician will look at your labia. Why?

to make sure your labia looks healthy

to check for any lumps, bumps or sores in the area
Step 2: To check the health of your vagina and cervix, the clinician will use an
instrument called a speculum (spec-u-lum).

What is a speculum?

A speculum is a metal or plastic instrument shaped like a duck's bill, and about 5
inches long. Most clinics will warm, and perhaps lubricate, the speculum before
inserting it.

The speculum slides into your vagina and is gently opened to hold the walls of
your vagina apart to let the clinician see inside.

You should anticipate some pressure when the speculum is inserted, and you
may hear a clicking sound - that's the sound of the speculum opening.

If it hurts, tell your clinician so the speculum can be adjusted or substituted
with a different size.
Why use a speculum?

It lets the clinician look at the walls of your vagina to check for sores or bumps.

Your cervix is at the back of your vagina. The clinician needs to see your cervix.

Your cervix should look pink and healthy

The Pap Smear looks at cells taken from the cervix.

Tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
are done on samples from the cervix.

Some women say the Pap smear and STD tests feels like pressure or a pinch
when it's done.
Step 3: The clinician will remove the speculum and insert two gloved fingers into your
vagina. With the other hand they will press on your stomach. This is called a bimanual exam and allows the clinician to feel your uterus,
ovaries and fallopian tubes for any problems.

Remember to tell your clinician if the exam hurts!

You made it through the exam! What's next?

you'll get dressed

talk to the clinician about the exam

ask about any concerns you may have
If you have an infection, you will get medicine to treat it. If you want a birth
control method, you will either:

get a supply of that method or

you will be told when to return to the clinic to get the method.
You should also be offered condoms to prevent STDs. If condoms aren't
offered, ask for them! The clinician will tell you when you need to come
back to the clinic.

You can make the appointment on your way out or call the clinic later.

Remember that most women are nervous about getting a gynecological exam.

Ask questions, listen to the answers, and let the clinic staff help you through the visit.

Your health is important!

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