The gynecologist answers the questions you never dared to ask

Read Fanny Falkman Grinndal's, Sweden manager for VagiVital, personal interview with gynecologist Arne Rådestad who answers all the questions you never dared to ask the gynecologist.

I will never forget my first gynecologist! He (yes, because he was a male gynecologist) was an older man with a somewhat soft, feminine aura and he was incredibly pussy-positive! At every visit, he loudly and happily praised my amazing vulva, without in any way being unpleasant or inappropriate. And I don't mean the usual and somewhat tired statement that "everything looks normal" but with sparkling devotion and great delight he loudly exclaimed his compliments. He did it in such a delicate and respectful way that I never found it uncomfortable or dirty. After each visit, I instead left feeling strengthened and incredibly proud and happy about my amazing vagina! It later turned out that my friend who went to the same gynecologist naturally also received the same pussy-positive treatment – but it actually didn't matter. It felt genuine and we both left with a proud smile on our lips!

"A gynecological visit is after all a part of many women's lives, but it can also be an emotionally challenging experience for many. Having to share the most intimate part of your body with a stranger, even if it is a medically professional person, can make women feel both uncomfortable and nervous."

"A common feeling that many women can also experience during a gynecological visit is shame. Having to take off your clothes and expose your body to examination can feel both uncomfortable and shameful. Most women who have lain with their legs in the air in a gynecological chair can probably recognize the comment: \"And then we come down a little more with the butt\". Whereupon you kind of have to push the entire genital area a little closer to the gynecologist's face while having an ongoing conversation. It is a strange and almost comical situation, but I want to believe that it can still be something pussytive!"

"When I myself am lying there in the gynecological chair, I have often wondered what the gynecologist really thinks about examining women's genitals every day and why one actually chooses to become a gynecologist? But I have never dared to ask. Until now."

"I therefore interviewed gynecologist Arne Rådestad, associate professor and specialist doctor in gynecology. Arne is also one of VagiVital's advisors in V Academy, which consists of specialists in various clinical fields and is an advisor to our clinical studies."

"Read more about V Academy here"

"WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A GYNECOLOGIST?"

"Originally, I wanted to become a pediatrician, but during the latter part of my general medical service, what we call AT, I worked at a women's clinic and I found it so enjoyable, so I continued to substitute there as a junior doctor. As a gynecologist, I got to do both surgery and also take care of deliveries and pregnancies – I found that exciting. It has always felt exciting to take care of children who are in their mother's womb and who are then born, trying to help in those situations when children are born and taking care of the women carrying the children was very enjoyable. Then, when you start to know things within a field, you feel you get more responsibility and then the interest in the specialty also broadens and you see other possibilities than before I started at the women's clinic."  "Therefore, I chose to specialize in women's diseases and childbirth as it was called then."

"WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A SPECIALIST IN GYNECOLOGY?"

"To become a specialist, you must serve in surgery, anesthesia, and women's clinics for five years to gain enough experience to become a specialist in the field. Then you must learn about pregnancy, childbirth, and women's diseases and also become skilled in diseases that women can get but that fall under other specialties such as surgery, anesthesia, and medicine. Eventually, I realized that if I was going to become good at something, I had to choose a focus, and then I became more and more interested in gynecology and therefore wrote my doctoral thesis in gynecology. It often happens automatically that you also stay within the area you chose for your doctoral thesis. I became very satisfied and have not regretted that choice."

"WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR CHOOSING TO BECOME A GYNECOLOGIST?"

"It is probably interest in life's existential questions; birth, fertility, sexuality and you also have the opportunity to be interested in infertility and women's diseases that can lead to death. You get all of life's important existential questions gathered within one specialty."

"I believe it is these existential questions that mean so much and are the most rewarding. That you encounter all the important contents; birth and death."

"You also often gain the trust of the patient who shares their experience and tells things from their life that you would never learn in other contexts."

"WHAT MAKES A GOOD GYNECOLOGIST?"

"The short answer is good treatment and a listening attitude and curiosity. Interest in the person and also not limiting oneself to addressing important and sensitive problems and difficult questions."

"But you must not barge in and rudely confront patients about things they do not want to talk about – both sensitivity and curiosity are important."

"HOW ARE YOU TREATED WHEN YOU TELL THAT YOU WORK AS A (MALE) GYNECOLOGIST?"

"Most of the time, I am met with curiosity. I have sometimes encountered men who have had a somewhat mocking attitude and who like to joke about it, but most are curious about what one can do as a gynecologist. Especially men generally often have no idea what it means to work as a gynecologist."

"WHAT IS THE MOST FUN PART OF YOUR JOB?"

"It is precisely that you get close to the core issues in life and that you gain the trust of patients who tell things they might not even tell their closest ones."

"WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB?"

"Yes, it is probably to be able as a gynecologist to earn the woman's trust – what makes her feel seen, heard, and listened to. That she really feels she has gotten what she expected from the visit to the gynecologist. To be able to provide information that is both clear and understandable and sometimes be able to give reassurance to those who are incurably ill."

"WHAT CAN BE GOOD TO KNOW FOR A WOMAN WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO THE GYNECOLOGIST?"

"For the young woman who has never been to the gynecologist, I would like to give the advice that she can seek a gynecologist, but that does not mean she needs to have a gynecological examination; you can have an advisory conversation with the gynecologist as the first visit. Do not think you have to be gynecologically examined at a visit to the gynecologist. It is important for very young women to know. Also, feel free to bring a partner or friend to your first visit for support."

"When the woman has gained trust, they often want to be examined, but whether it takes one, two, or three visits to get there varies. If you see the gynecologist as an advisory doctor in the area where you have questions you want answers to, the visit is not so charged."

"WHAT IS YOUR BEST TIP FOR WOMEN BEFORE A GYNECOLOGIST VISIT?"

"To women who have been to the gynecologist before, my advice is to prepare by writing down the questions you want answers to so that you don't forget to ask what you want to know because of stress. Do not choose a gynecologist based on their gender - unless you have special reasons."

"WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE VAGINA SINCE YOU STARTED WORKING AS A GYNECOLOGIST?"

"During my years as a gynecologist, I have especially seen the enormous variation in the female genitalia – both in how it looks and also how it is experienced by the patients. My task as a gynecologist is to try to convey how broad the normal variation is so that women do not lock themselves into thinking that a genital organ should look and function in a certain way. I often meet women who have not seen many other women's genitalia and have not always seen their own either. I often ask if they look at their genitalia with a mirror. For example, there are certain skin diseases in the genital area that one can follow the course of oneself, instead of going to the doctor. Then you can seek help when there is an abnormal appearance or something unusual happens. Unfortunately, not many regularly look at their genital area with a mirror, and some have never done it. You need a mirror to see the entire vulva. Many have had to settle for comments from their partners, and that is not always to their own advantage."  "I have never had the opportunity to compare with other images than those from pornography, and that does not give a real picture, and therefore I try to convey the great variation of the female genital organ."

"IS IT COMMON FOR WOMEN TO CHOOSE A GYNECOLOGIST BASED ON THE GYNECOLOGIST'S GENDER?"

"No, I can't say it's common, but it does happen that some women only want a female or a male gynecologist. It can be due to cultural reasons or something they have experienced before that is associated with male or female gender, where an event has been unpleasant, painful, or threatening. Then one is marked by previous events."

"HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING REJECTED AS A MALE GYNECOLOGIST?"

"I don't take it personally if a woman chooses not to see me because I am a male gynecologist, it is not personal but often lies with themselves. They have had experiences that make them choose based on those experiences."

"CAN YOU GO TO THE GYNECOLOGIST WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR PERIOD?"

"Yes, you can do that because the gynecologist does not hesitate to examine a woman who wants to be examined just because she has her period. Then there are many women who believe they should not have their period when they visit the gynecologist, but that is not true. If the woman has a problem, she should see a gynecologist regardless of whether she has her period or not."

"CAN A GYNECOLOGIST SEE IF YOU ARE A VIRGIN, HAVE GIVEN BIRTH, OR MASTURBATED?"

"If by virginity you mean that if one has had penetrative intercourse, the gynecologist cannot see that. It is also not possible during a gynecological examination to see if a woman has given birth, but of course, you can make interpretations if the woman, for example, has a scar on the vulva or if the woman has a scar on the abdomen where a cesarean section is usually done, then you can assume she has given birth, but that is not proof and cannot be said for sure. It is also not possible to see if a woman has masturbated."

"HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GO TO THE GYNECOLOGIST?"

"There are no recommendations that can be said to be supported by research, but I think you should go when you have a gynecological problem. Then there are naturally certain check-ups you should do if you have cell changes or if you are following a disease process in the genital area, but generally – a woman does not need to go for health check-ups with the gynecologist if she is symptom-free."

"You can find VagiVital VS for vaginal infections" here

"IS THERE ANYTHING YOU FIND DISGUSTING DURING A GYNECOLOGICAL EXAMINATION?"

"It's very rare that something is experienced as disgusting, and 'disgusting' is also a very strong word, I have never experienced anything that would be disgusting. However, there is one unusual event, and that is when someone has forgotten a tampon that has been in for several days, and then there is a growth of foul-smelling bacteria in the tampon. It can give a very strong odor, but it is the tampon's fault, and if you remove the tampon, it gets better. So a forgotten tampon can smell very bad, but it is an easy problem to solve. I also don't think it's disgusting."

You can find VagiVital V Cleanser intimate wash here

DOES IT MATTER TO YOU IF SOMEONE HAS SHAVED THEIR INTIMATE AREA?

"No, not for me. I don't care if someone has shaved their intimate area or not, nor their legs for that matter"

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER AS A GYNECOLOGIST WHEN RECEIVING A PATIENT?

"Besides it being important to build trust and to listen to the patient a very important thing as a gynecologist is to stay up to date and update your knowledge to maintain a high level of competence. Women today often come to the gynecologist with knowledge they have acquired in various ways, not least from the internet, and then you as a gynecologist should be well-read and able to answer the women's questions. To be able to do that, you must be able to maintain your competence by continuously educating yourself."

IS THERE ANYTHING IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE WOMAN BEFORE A VISIT?

"No, I really don't need to know anything beforehand; she can come as a blank slate. What I can help her with is what she brings up during the visit. She does not need to pre-register the reason for her visit. I myself get annoyed with clinics that require patients to state the reason for booking another visit. I think it is the wrong question to ask a woman on the phone who has not yet trusted you and whom you do not know. I think it is a silly question. It is a question she can answer when she is there and she should not have to disclose it when booking the appointment.

DO YOU SEE A NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH IN WOMEN'S HEALTH?

"Female sexual desire is an area where research could increase because sexual function is something women rate very highly when asked about quality of life and what is important to them. More and more women are also seeking help today for reduced/decreased sexual desire. It is a sensitive topic that is not researched much but has great significance and is also rated highly by women themselves."

You can find VagiVital AktivGel for dry mucous membranes & pain during intercourse here.

IS THERE ANY AREA THAT HAS DEVELOPED DURING YOUR YEARS AS A GYNECOLOGIST?

"Yes, in gynecological cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. There has been a lot of positive progress that has increased treatment options and reduced morbidity"

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Take care of your intimate area ❤️ and choose a gynecologist who treats you Pussytively!

/Fanny

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