What is an OB-GYN?
OB-GYN is a combination of two medical branches. An obstetrician is a physician who deals with antenatal and postpartum care. At the same time, a gynecologist is an expert physician who treats the reproductive health of a female body from menarche (first period) to menopause.
An obstetrician-gynecologist is a physician who will help you during maternity and guide you if you are dealing with fertility problems.
What kind of training and education does an OB-GYN have?
As we all know, before doctors start practicing independently, they gain years of experience. They need to build scientific and medical knowledge and practice under the supervision of other doctors to earn a medical license.
An OB-GYN needs to obtain a bachelor's degree from a medical school, which usually takes four years to complete, then a post-graduate residency and internship under close supervision from senior doctors. This process takes at least eight years. After completing their residency, individuals aspiring to become OB-GYNs must undergo a two-step board certification process established by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). It is essential to clear the United States medical licensing examination series successfully. Each state has licensing requirements, including passing a state medical board examination and meeting other state-specific criteria.
Those interested in a subspecialty must do further fellowship to get board certification.
What are the subspecialties OB-GYNs have?
Data from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) shows that while most OB-GYNs are generalists, some obtain board certification in a subspecialty. The ABMS lists around seven recognized subspecialties:
- Critical care medicine focuses on diagnosing, treating, and supporting critically ill and injured patients.
- In complex family planning, an OB-GYN works with women with challenging conditions and consults with other professionals to ensure proper patient reproductive care.
- Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery OB-GYNs provide medical and surgical treatment for women having pelvic floor disorders.
- Gynecologic oncologists are OB-GYNs trained to provide the best possible treatment for gynecologic cancers.
- Hospice and palliative medicine OB-GYNs work with patients with life-limiting illnesses to optimize their quality of life and minimize suffering.
- Maternal-fetal medicine OB-GYNs focus on addressing health concerns for both the mother and baby and helping manage any complications that arise during pregnancy.
- Lastly, reproductive endocrinology and infertility OB-GYNs evaluate and treat fertility issues and hormonal dysfunctions.
What exactly does an OB-GYN do?
The parameters of the work will vary depending on whether the OB-GYN is a general practitioner or a specialist. It is common for generalists to spend some days primarily at work.
OB-GYN practitioners provide a wide range of women's health services, catering to all life stages, from adolescence to pregnancy, menopause, and beyond. Their expertise spans surgical and nonsurgical interventions, like the following:
- Birth control options: OB-GYN specialists thoroughly evaluate patients to choose the most suitable birth control methods. To conclude, healthcare professionals consider their lifestyle, personal preferences, and health status.
- Fertility guidance: OB-GYN practitioners offer steadfast support and advice for those facing challenges in conception. They assist their patients by identifying potential causes of fertility issues, providing insights on when to seek professional help, and facilitating connections with relevant fertility services.
- Pelvic health management: Common symptoms of pelvic health disorders include incontinence, urinary urgency, pelvic discomfort, and sexual health concerns. A multidisciplinary approach is needed, comprising an OB-GYN, primary care provider, urogynecologist, urologist, and pelvic floor physical therapist.
- Comprehensive prenatal care: For individuals planning to start or grow families, OB-GYN practitioners provide complete support, including pre-pregnancy planning, prenatal care, and postpartum help. They may also explore innovative options such as telemedicine and specialized programs.
- Robotic surgery expertise: Robotic surgery, like the da Vinci Surgical System, uses equipment to enable minimally invasive operation procedures. Via this innovative technology, OB-GYN specialists can treat conditions like abdominal pain and pelvic pain, painful periods and heavy bleeding, pelvic organ prolapse, endometriosis, gynecological cancer like ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and uterine cancer, and uterine fibroids.
- Well-woman checkup: The well-woman checkup, focusing on preventive care, enables patients and OB-GYN providers to review health collectively. It facilitates discussions on preventative measures, conducts necessary screenings, and addresses concerns related to women's health.
When should one see an OB-GYN?
It would be beneficial if you also visit the best OB-GYN near you during perimenopause and menopause. If you are getting pregnant or willing to get pregnant, you should consult an OB-GYN for a healthy pregnancy, and also, if you are sexually active, you may visit your OB-GYN for safe and healthy intercourse.
Apart from this, you should visit an OB-GYN if you are dealing with problems such as:
- Changes in menstrual cycle/bleeding
- Pain during urination
- Pain during intercourse
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Vaginal discharge
- Urinary tract infections
- Infertility
- Breast lumps and disease
When should girls have their first OB-GYN visit?
Based on research by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, females should have their first OB-GYN meeting when they turn about 13 to 15 years old or until they become sexually compatible. The first trip for teenagers will not have an exam.
What to expect at the appointment?
A general discussion about your health will occur at the beginning of your session. Several tests, including blood pressure and urine tests, will be performed on you.
A pelvic examination can be the next step. The vulva, vaginal entrance, cervix, vaginal partitions, and reproductive system will be checked by the doctor, along with other vaginal organs. During the pelvic exam, your OB-GYN will take some samples of cells from the cervix for a pap test. Those cells can help detect cervical cancer and other abnormalities.
How can COVID-19 affect pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding?
Research shows that pregnant and lately pregnant women with some health conditions, like rotundity and gravid diabetes, may have an advanced threat of severe illness identical to non-pregnant women with these conditions.
Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more prone to complications during pregnancy. Health issues include hypertension, postpartum hemorrhaging, and infections. Women with severe illnesses have a higher risk of complications. They also have an increased risk of having a blood clotting disease.
Studies show that COVID-19 does not pass through breastfeeding. Even if you have COVID-19, nourishing your baby's breast milk is safe. Breast milk is your child's best source of nutrition.
How to prepare for an OB-GYN appointment?
Do you wish to confidently walk into the OB-GYN's office and leave from there satisfied? Adequate preparation is the key to having a good consultation. Rest assured that following the below-mentioned steps will promise a successful OB-GYN appointment every time:
Step 1: Have all the necessary information with you
Your OB-GYN will ask you many questions regarding your overall health, lifestyle, and diet, so prepare notes and gather all the required documents. Here's a comprehensive checklist you can refer to:
- Medical history, including your past and current health conditions, infections, allergies, injuries, and surgeries
- Vaccination history
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal remedies you take currently, including their dosages
- Copies of recent lab or imaging test results
- Family history of sexual and reproductive conditions
- Records of your menstrual cycle
- Details about your exercise routine, stress levels, relationships, addictions, and everyday diet
Step 2: List down your concerns and questions
Whether you are worried about missing your last period, need clarity around birth control options, or want to know the recommended health screenings for your age group, you can ask your OB-GYN anything related to your sexual and reproductive health. So, write down everything to communicate easily with your provider.
Step 3: Schedule your consultation wisely
If you will have a pelvic exam and Pap smear, you must visit when you are not on your period for the most accurate test results. However, if you want to address menstruation-related issues, meeting your OB-GYN during your period becomes necessary. In any case, always call the provider's office to confirm the best time to schedule the appointment.
Step 4: Avoid certain things before your appointment
You need to ensure that you avoid everything that can alter the vaginal flora and pH balance, making it difficult for your OB-GYN to detect issues. Keep in mind the following rules:
- Skip douching.
- Avoid sex, lubrication products, and adult toys for at least 48 hours before your appointment.
- Do not apply any powders, creams, and fragrances down there.
- Postpone pubic hair removal.
Finding the best OB-GYN near you in Olney, Maryland
A doctor's recommendation will help with therapy costs. To choose the best doctor at this point, you will need a meticulously compiled dataset. In this case, Zocdoc comes in handy. You can now book an appointment from home if you live in Olney, Maryland. Thanks to the Zocdoc website, the webpage will aid you once you enter a few details, such as your issue, health insurer and plan, and location. It will look up and display the best OB-GYNs in your area. You can look for specialists based on your symptoms.
You can mention "I'm paying for myself" in the search bar if you do not have medical insurance. Once you confirm you are ready to pay out-of-pocket, you will receive an extensive list of nearby providers offering appointments to patients without a health plan. You can use the same steps when you have coverage but want to avoid using it for bookings via Zocdoc. Do you have any more insurance-related queries? Our patient help center page can help!
Additionally, you may go into each doctor's credentials, like education, qualifications, training, awards, and verified patient testimonials. You can filter them based on their expertise, gender, licensure, competence, spoken languages, and awards. With all this information, you can choose the best OB-GYN near you.
You can also check if your chosen OB-GYN accepts your insurance plan. Depending on the doctor's availability, you can swiftly utilize Zocdoc to schedule virtual or in-person appointments online. Zocdoc reservations are secure, accessible, and fast.
Statistics about OB-GYNs dealing with various disorders in Olney, Maryland
OB-GYNs are medical practitioners who can identify, prevent, and treat gynecologic cancers and sexually transmitted disorders. The American Cancer Society estimates 5,760 new breast cancer cases, 1,320 uterine corpus tumor cases, 340 ovarian cancer cases, and 230 cervical cancer cases in Maryland in 2023. Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer affecting Maryland's population. The National Cancer Institute estimated that the incidence rate of breast cancer in Maryland was around 133.6 cases per 100,000 women and approximately 126.8 in Montgomery County (Olney) between 2015 and 2019.
According to surveys from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey conducted in 2009 and 2010, women made 14.1% of regular prenatal care visits in the US to doctors whose specialties did not include obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN). Over 22,658 OB-GYNS are employed in the United States. 85.2% of all OB-GYNs are women, while 14.8% are men.
Another dataset from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that about 800 women pass away daily from avoidable causes connected to pregnancy and delivery. Around 40% of all fatalities in children under five are newborn or neonatal deaths.
Sexual intercourse without proper care and precautions can cause many health and infection problems. In Maryland, primary and secondary syphilis rates were 7.8 per 100,000 in 2011 and 8.5 per 100,000 in 2015. Maryland has become 10th among the 50 states regarding P&S syphilis rates.
Additionally, the STD Surveillance Report for Maryland (2020) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 32,398 cases or 535.9 per 100,000 population for chlamydia, ranking 12 in the country. For other Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Maryland ranked 24 for gonorrhea with 12,052 cases, 14 for primary and secondary syphilis with 873 cases, and 15 for congenital syphilis with 31 cases.
Sources
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
WebMD
St. George's University
Michigan State University[1]
Michigan State University[2]
Wooster Community Hospital
Healthline
Mayo Clinic
UTSouthwestern Medical Center
Mayo Clinic Health System
Levin’s Women’s Health & Wellness Center
Associates in Women's Healthcare
