An obstetrician-gynecologist, or OB-GYN, is a healthcare professional that specializes in female reproductive health.
OB-GYNs are trained in both obstetrics as well as gynecology.
Obstetrics is the practice of working with pregnant women and delivering babies.
Gynecology is the treatment of female reproductive problems. It includes treating a wide variety of conditions including chronic pain and sexually transmitted diseases (STIs).
This article will discuss what an OB/GYN is and what they can do, how qualified they are, and when people should visit them. We also discuss how a person may become an OB/GYN.
An OB-GYN refers to a doctor with specialized training in obstetrics or gynecology.
OB-GYNs provide a wide range of preventive care services, including pap smears, STI testing, pelvic exams, infertility, and many other topics.
Although recommendations can change with age and change over time, most women visit their OB-GYN at least once a calendar year. These physicians may be their only primary doctors.
Some may consider their OB-GYNs to be their primary care doctor. Research conducted on women aged 18-40 revealed that 56% of them only saw an OB-GYN annually. Even women with chronic conditions saw an OB-GYN primarily.
What are their procedures?
OB-GYNs can perform a variety of procedures.
- Cesarean sections
- Instrumental deliveries during childbirth
- A hysterectomy
- Removal of growths such as ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids
- Surgery to treat pelvic organ injury
- OB-GYNs are also able to perform a variety of routine and in-office procedures.
- To test for cervical carcinoma, pap smears
- STI testing
- Fertility treatments such as egg-freezing or egg retrievals for IVF include egg retrievals.
- To monitor and check the health of your baby’s pelvic organs, you can have a pelvic ultrasound.
- Infertility counseling and treatments
- Management of urinary problems, such as urological infections or incontinence
- Common problems like anemia are treated.
- Breast exams and breast management, including mammograms.
OB-GYNs may also address general health needs, such as screening for mental health issues, filling out prescriptions for common conditions, performing blood tests for common diseases, and referring people for specialist care.
Which areas are they specialized in?
OB-GYNs have many options. Some choose to be exclusively in obstetrics or care for pregnant women. Others specialize in gynecological services and don’t deliver babies.
Some OB-GYNs are more interested in a particular area of the field. An obstetrician may specialize in vaginal deliveries after cesarean birth (VBAC).
Women may also be treated holistically, or from an osteopathic perspective. This care may prioritize traditional or natural remedies. The American Osteopathic Association certifies osteopathic doctors.
Obstetricians in New Jersey specialize in areas that require additional training, expertise, and accreditation.
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists
High-risk pregnancies are treated by maternal-fetal medicine specialists. They are experts in the health and well-being of the mother and baby.
Reproductive endocrinologists
Reproductive endocrinologists specialize in infertility. They can diagnose and plan for treatment. Many of them offer in vitro fertilization procedures (IVF).
Gynecologic oncologists
Gynecological Oncologists treat cancers of the reproductive organs such as cervical and ovarian cancer.
Specialists in female pelvic surgery
Reconstructive surgeons and female pelvic medicine specialists focus on disorders and injuries to the pelvic floor and its related structures. They may treat incontinence; provide pelvic floor recommendations that a person visits an OB/GYN between the ages of thirteen and fifteen.
The doctor and teenager will form a close relationship during this visit. If the teenager is healthy and not having any sexual activity, the doctor will not perform a pelvic examination
A person should have their first pelvic exam and gynecologist every year for a good woman visit. Many factors affect the specific tests required at each visit. These include age, lifestyle, and risk factors.
If you think you might be pregnant, or if you have any concerns about your reproductive system, it is a good idea to see your OB-GYN.
- STD testing
- Pregnancy or miscarriage suspected
- Pregnancy complications
- Pain during sex
- Urination can cause pain and other symptoms.
- Infertility suspected
- Ask questions about sexual and reproductive health
