Detecting pregnancy as early as possible is important. This is to ensure that the body is in proper shape to house the baby until birth. For example, it will help you know what you can and cannot take while pregnant. Furthermore, you can prepare better and well ahead for other prenatal arrangements.
Against this backdrop, there are various ways to detect pregnancy. In the spirit of keeping you informed, this article on the sexuality page of the International Health Alliance website aims at discussing how soon a doctor can detect pregnancy through a pelvic exam.
About Pelvic Exam
Female reproductive and general health can be threatened by some health conditions that affect the reproductive organs and vaginal areas. A good pelvic exam will help discover these problems and avoid any (or many) of the risk that comes with them.
This screening is a physical examination procedure. However, another screening usually done alongside this one is the Pap smear. It involves the collection of cervix cells for further examination.
This can help reveal if STDs are a concern. This is especially STDs like HPV; with a risk that includes resulting in cervical cancer disease. So, women are advised to periodically check the state of their reproductive and general health through pelvic and Pap smear exams.
This is especially if they feel certain things that suggest their reproductive and general health may be compromised. You should go for this test if you have a history of:
- Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
- Pelvic Pain
- Urinary Problems
- Unusual Vaginal Discharge
People who show any of these signs should go for this medical examination. This is to get to the root cause of the problems and find medical and long-lasting solutions.
Can a Doctor Detect Pregnancy Through a Pelvic Exam?
There is the possibility that a doctor can detect pregnancy through a pelvic exam. However, this would depend on a couple of things. Chief among the determinants is the expertise of the doctor and how far gone the pregnant woman is.
Starting with the latter, it is difficult (or near impossible) to detect pregnancy with a pelvic exam when the pregnancy is very early. It takes a while before a doctor can detect this through this means.
The reason is that it will be conducted by observing changes in the shape, size, and even position of some of the accessible reproductive organs. Some of these organs include the:
- Cervix
- Uterus
- Pelvis
- Rectum
- Vagina
- Vulva
- Ovaries
The state, shape, and even position of some of these reproductive organs can strongly suggest that women are pregnant. Also worth knowing is how pelvic exams do not only help detect pregnancy in women. This is especially when co-tests such as a Pap smear are carried out alongside this medical screening.
How Soon Can Pelvic Testing Detect Pregnancy in Women?
Pelvic screening can help detect pregnancy between 6 – 8 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. But some conditions do not make pelvic exams the best way to find out if women are pregnant.
Just so we are clear, some of the signs that help this test detect pregnancy might be suggestive of some vaginal and/or reproductive health conditions. In short, there are better ways to be certain of pregnancy. This is even if a pelvic exam has suggested it.
Other Ways to Detect Pregnancy
These are not just alternatives. Some of them are better ways to find out if you are pregnant. These pregnancy test alternatives include:
- Ultrasound
- Urine Tests
- Blood Tests
- HPT – Also called Home Pregnancy Test Kit
Unlike the last of the list, you would need to visit a health care service provider to be examined using the other options. All of these alternatives are better and faster ways to find out if you are pregnant. For example, the word out there is that some HPT kits can detect pregnancy as early as 1 week after ovulation.
Do not forget that we have related content on the sexuality page of the International Health Alliance website. For example, you can read about the causes and effects of Trisomy 18.
