Who is an OB-GYN?
As the name suggests, an OB-GYN combines an obstetrician's and a gynecologist's functions. An OB-GYN is a medical doctor who has studied obstetrics and gynecology. A gynecologist studies and treats a woman's reproductive health from her first period, throughout her menstruation, to menopause.
An obstetrician deals with everything related to pregnancy, including prenatal, labor, childbirth, and post-natal care. An OB-GYN does all of the above and is a specialist in women's health. While some prefer to treat a wide range of women's issues like a primary care provider, others focus on the reproductive system in women.
What do OB-GYNs do?
While most OB-GYNs, up to 90%, provide general care for women, the remaining prefer to specialize in areas such as maternal-fetal medicine (which deals with high-risk pregnancies), infertility, oncology, female pelvic medicine, and reproductive surgery. High-risk pregnancies mean pregnant women with blood clotting disorders, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, premature labor, or a combination of the above.
Treating infertility would include in vitro fertilization and embryo, intrafallopian gamete, and intrafallopian zygote transfers. Gynecologic oncologists study the progression and treatment of the cancers of the vulva, cervix, uterus, and ovaries. OB-GYNs focusing on reproductive surgery and female pelvic medicine may treat urinary tract, muscle, and connective tissue
disorders.
What kind of education and training do OB-GYNs receive?
Since they study both obstetrics and gynecology, OB-GYNs study doubly hard. After graduation, they do four years of medical school, followed by four years of graduate-level studies, focusing on obstetrics and gynecology as a resident. During the residency, they focus on women's health-related and reproductive issues. They learn how to prevent, diagnose, treat, and manage all these issues under the expert guidance of an attending doctor in a hospital or similar medical setting.
That's not all. After this, doctors specialize in a specific area and undergo three additional years of training. To prove they learned the above, they must clear a specialty board certification examination conducted by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Their education continues even after becoming OB-GYNs because they must uphold this certification by giving and clearing a maintenance exam every six years.
OB-GYN specializations
While most OB-GYNs are general practitioners, some specialize in one or more areas. They can pursue both boarded and non-boarded subspecialties recognized by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG).
Boarded subspecialties include:
- Gynecologic oncology: OB-GYNs studying gynecologic oncology acquire skills that help them diagnose and treat cancers of the female reproductive system. Cancers of the ovaries, uterus, vulva, and cervix are gynecologic cancers.
- Maternal-fetal medicine: Handling high-risk pregnancies and related medical complications using techniques such as obstetric ultrasonography is the focus of maternal-fetal medicine. These specialists can help if you have gestational diabetes, blood clotting disorders, chronic high blood pressure, or premature labor.
- Complex family planning: A specialist in this field gains expertise in complex family planning and can provide abortion and contraception care to patients battling difficult medical conditions.
- Infertility and reproductive endocrinology: Infertility issues and conditions afflicting the endocrine system's glands or hormones come under this specialty's purview. If you want to get pregnant but have trouble conceiving, an OB-GYN with this specialization can help. They gain expertise in assisted reproduction procedures such as in-vitro fertilization, zygote intrafallopian transfer, embryo transfer, and gamete intrafallopian transfer.
- Female pelvic medicine and reproductive surgery: Practitioners with this specialization can help if you have urinary tract disorders or problems with the pelvic floor muscles. These doctors can tackle other conditions, including fecal or urinary incontinence, bladder pain, vaginal infections, overactive bladder, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Non-boarded specialties are:
- Pediatric and adolescent gynecology: Practitioners training in this specialty develop unique skills to address all gynecological issues in adolescents and children. Helping diagnose and manage abnormalities of puberty or development is their prime responsibility.
- Minimally invasive gynecological surgery: The doctors in this branch get training in techniques such as robotics, operative laparoscopy, and operative hysteroscopy. They can then use their skills to help patients with benign conditions such as severe endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
- Menopausal and geriatric gynecology: This specialization enables the practitioner to provide treatment and care for menopausal and older women.
When should you see an OB-GYN?
Women can see an OB-GYN throughout their menstrual period, which could include many reasons to visit one. If you have concerns about your periods or pregnancy, an OB-GYN can help you. So if you have genital itching, pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, urinary tract or vaginal infections, infertility, breast disorders, or hormonal disorders, you should look for the best OB-GYN near you.
OB-GYNs can assess and treat an array of conditions. Depending on your age, health, and reproductive goals, you may see them for any of the following reasons:
- Birth control: Depending on your age, the birth control option that worked well last year might not work well this time. Besides, new and safer alternatives appear regularly. Your GYN is the best person to talk to about this, and it's a discussion you can have on your yearly visits, too.
- Preventive care: Women may be more vulnerable to chronic diseases like osteoporosis or thyroid disorders. Consulting an OB-GYN can help you create a personalized treatment plan for your physiology and life goals and prevent treatable problems from advancing.
- Irregular menstruation: If a woman worries about her menstrual cycle, she should see her OB-GYN immediately. If the problem is not discussed, it may lead to reproductive issues in the future. The typical scenario might be that if a woman's menstruation has stopped, become irregular, lasted a long time, or changed blood flow, she should tell her OB-GYN. It is best to be as specific about your changes as possible.
- Breast examinations: It is essential to consider your breast health. Breast exams are usually suggested for women over 40, though earlier exams may be required if a family history of breast cancer exists.
- Painful intercourse: Painful sex could indicate something isn't right — this intimate act shouldn't be uncomfortable or unpleasant. On your OB-GYN visits, concerns for both young and old can be openly expressed and discussed. Your OB-GYN should be a practitioner with whom you feel comfortable discussing possible sexually transmitted infections, birth control alternatives, or even pain during intercourse.
- Mental health and wellness: Most women go through times when their emotions seem out of control. It's crucial to have someone you can talk to about anything, whether it's early in life, postpartum, menopausal, or for no apparent reason at all. An annual visit to the best OB-GYN near you is an excellent opportunity to express your feelings.
- Pelvic exam: An annual pelvic exam, as well as testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), can assist in detecting atypical growths or other anomalies. Women with concerns like abnormal discharge or perimenopause should make appointments yearly. A pelvic exam is not every woman's preferred and pleasant appointment, but it is fundamental to a woman's overall well-being.
- Maternal healthcare: It is good to consult as soon as you know you're pregnant. Your OB-GYN will monitor your pregnancy to ensure everything progresses well and address any concerns. It is especially crucial if you suffer from pre-existing conditions such as renal disease or hypertension.
What should you expect on the first visit to an OB-GYN?
Because OB-GYNs deal with such sensitive issues in women, many patients hesitate and may be uncomfortable visiting them for the first time. They may be embarrassed at having a specialist look at their private parts or while discussing intimate issues. So, it would help to know what happens when you visit an OB-GYN.
Girls should begin seeing an OB-GYN right from 13 or when they become sexually active. So, your first visit may involve a frank talk without a medical examination. If you visit the OB-GYN, avoid sexual activity 24 hours before, which could interfere with the pap tests.
If you are older, you can expect a general health check-up where someone will check your blood pressure or ask you to undergo blood and urine tests. You will change into a gown that opens in the front so it is easier for the OB-GYN to examine your body. When the OB-GYN conducts the examination, you must keep your knees bent and put your feet in stirrups to keep them apart.
The OB-GYN will ask questions about you and your family's medical history to get a general idea of your background. They will first examine the outside of your vagina for abnormalities and the inside of your reproductive organs. If you feel uncomfortable, you can tell the OB-GYN because they are experts at decreasing your fear.
Be assured that they have dealt with most women's issues in their careers, including any you have. If you are above 21, you can expect a pap test during the pelvic exam. Again, this is not painful, and the OB-GYN will take some cell samples from the cervix with a small brush. This test is to check for cervical cancer and other illnesses. They will send these samples to a lab for testing.
What is a Pap smear test?
A Pap smear test screens for cervical cancer by examining cells collected from the cervix to detect any abnormalities that could become cancerous over time.
Healthcare providers consider the Pap smear the gold standard for preventing cervical cancer, as it can identify precancerous or cancerous cells before they progress. Anyone with a cervix between the ages of 21 and 30 should undergo a Pap smear at least once every three years, while those aged 30 to 65 should have one every five years. Early detection through this test can significantly improve the chances of successfully treating cervical issues.
During the Pap smear procedure, the OB-GYN inserts a speculum carefully into the vagina to reach the cervix. Then, using a spatula or a combination of a spatula and brush, they collect a small sample of cervical cells. Although the procedure may cause minor discomfort or irritation, it is a quick and routine examination. The provider then sends the collected sample to a laboratory for analysis.
After the test, some mild discomfort, cramping, or light vaginal bleeding is common. If any of these symptoms persist or worsen, it’s important to inform your healthcare provider.
How to prepare for a Pap smear?
These simple preparation guidelines can help ensure that your Pap smear provides the most reliable information about your cervical health. Be sure to discuss any concerns or questions you may have with your OB-GYN prior to the appointment.
- Avoid vaginal intercourse for at least two days before your appointment to minimize potential interference with the cell sample collection.
- Refrain from using tampons, vaginal creams or medications, birth control foams or jellies, lubricants, and douches within the same two-day window before your Pap smear. These products could alter the cellular composition of the sample, potentially affecting the test results.
- Schedule the appointment after your menstrual period has ended if possible. If you expect your period on the day of the exam or it coincides unexpectedly, contact your healthcare provider to discuss the best course of action.
How to find the best OB-GYN near you in Alpharetta, GA?
Since you need to talk about your most personal issues, you may be apprehensive about meeting an OB-GYN for the first time. So it would help to decide whether you want to see a male or a female specialist. Zocdoc will help you find the OB-GYN you want without speaking to anybody, as it is entirely online.
Zocdoc will help you look for a reputable OB-GYN for yourself; we have compiled a list of some of the best in the nation. You can look for local specialists with Zocdoc. Enter OB-GYN in the search field, choose Alpharetta, Georgia, as the location, and enter your insurance information to check for in-network specialists.
You can have multiple insurance plans linked to your Zocdoc account, but you need to choose only one to use for each appointment booking. Add information about any additional insurance you have during the booking process or on the provider's intake forms. Reach out to Zocdoc's patient help center for queries on health insurance.
Although there are many providers, Zocdoc's filters will help narrow your search. To display only the experts who fall into your chosen categories, you can select your visit's purpose, the day and time of your consultation, your gender, your preferred language, and other preferences. You can also locate the best OB-GYN near you in the video visits section for online consultations.
After that, open the OB-GYN's page in a new tab by clicking on their name. You can make an informed decision after going through the doctor's profile. You can read patient testimonials and details of the specialist, like their awards, affiliations, qualifications, accreditation, experience, areas of expertise, and licensure. You can also check the languages they speak and if they treat women of all ages.
Filling out the necessary information will allow you to schedule an appointment with an OB-GYN easily. Making a booking through Zocdoc is simple, safe, and cost-free.
OB-GYN statistics in Georgia
According to the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee, around 58% of deaths associated with pregnancy in 2014 may have been avoided in Georgia. The state had the sixth-highest infant mortality rate in the country as of 2017, and in terms of low birthweight nationwide, Georgia ranked fourth in 2016 and 2017.
Georgia had the country's fifth-highest rate of preterm births as of 2017 (a marginal increase from 2013 to 2017). Breastfeeding initiation in Georgia was slightly higher than the national average as of 2015. The recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding are still challenging to achieve.
From 2010 to 2015, the prevalence of newborn abstinence syndrome tripled in Georgia. There were around 54.8% unplanned pregnancies in 2011, with significant racial differences. Although somewhat higher than the national average in 2017, Georgia's teen pregnancy rate has declined. In Georgia, pregnant women's 2017 influenza vaccination uptake fell below the country's average.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2022, 760 OB-GYNs were legally practicing in Georgia. The location quotient for the state (1.13), the ratio between OB-GYNs in Georgia versus the whole of the U.S., was higher than the national average.
According to an article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2022, 892 infants died in Georgia. The infant mortality rate in the state (seven for every 1,000 births) was among the worst in the whole of the U.S. Compared to 2021, the infant mortality rate increased by an alarming 13% in Georgia, while it was a 3% increase nationally. A report by Knoema stated that the 2020 fertility rate in Georgia was 2.05 kids for every woman; this was lower than the fertility rate in 1971 (2.67).
According to cancer statistics published by the CDC, in 2020, the incidence rates for female cancers in Georgia were 125.8 for breast cancer (8,181 new cases), 22.8 for uterine cancer (1,560 new cases), 14.8 for thyroid cancer (852 new cases), 8.6 for ovarian cancer (554 new cases), and 7.7 for cervical cancer (436 new cases). The report also stated that female breast cancer was among the top ten cancers in the state in terms of new cases and deaths.
Sources
PennMedicine
WebMD
Healthline[1]
Healthline[2]
Wooster Community Hospital
Knoema
University of Illinois
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[2]
Cleveland Clinic
