Gynocologists on Shine

Ask Dr. Kate: I recently had unprotected sex. What should I do?

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Dr. Kate,

I had unprotected sex a few days ago (oral and penetration). I know it's stupid and I've been alternately kicking and lecturing myself ever since. What I'd like to know is this: how soon can I get tested for STDs? I don't mind going in several times...

Ask Dr. Kate: How do I get rid of bacterial vaginosis?

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Dear Dr. Kate, On my last visit to my GYN, my Pap smear was abnormal. I was treated for a yeast infection, which I didn't think I had, and bacterial vaginosis. The next Pap test was normal. I am on birth control so my husband doesn't "pull out." Even though I was treated, the...

IUD 4 Me? Y Not?

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Dr. Kate, I am 25 and have never had children, nor do I ever want them. I was on the pill from age 17-23, and never found one that didn't make me emotional, spotty, bloated...you know the drill. I'm really not a fan of introducing hormones to my body, but at the same time I do appreciate...

The Doctor is In: Do I tell him I have HPV?

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T. called me last week, still reeling from the news that her pap test was positive for HPV. "I keep thinking, when did I get it, how long have I had it, and worst, what do I tell the next guy I sleep with?!"

The question of whether or not (and how) to disclose to your partner that you have HPV is fraught. I find myself torn, and feeling a dialogue between my two halves--Trusting Female Friend and Cautious Doctor--coming on...

"Better contraception?" No problem. "Better orgasms?" Umm...

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Sometimes you find that orgasm expertise is hard to, well, come by. Good gynos ask you about your sex life--current partners, one or more, male or female, contraception (or lack thereof)...and about the sex itself. I'll ask my patients if they are having any problems with sex, like pain, and...

Myth of the Month: Ovarian Cysts are Always Dangerous

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Doctors--even yours truly--can be lazy. I don't mean in how many hours they work (which is a lot) or how hard they work to treat patients (which is really hard). I mean that even the best of us can occasionally not really listen to a patient's complaints, or sometimes talk to a patient...