Read before you FaceTime your gyno
Possibly the most awkward telehealth appointment… but hey, no stirrups?
Most of the time, you can keep your pants on. You don’t need to send pics to get a diagnosis or treatment for issues like irregular bleeding due to birth control, says Dr. Stanwood. Or for what seems like an otherwise uncomplicated yeast infection. Your doc can just go ahead and call in a prescription for you (same-same when it comes to birth-control script renewals).
If your doctor *does* need visuals—like of new discoloration or a growth on your labia—sending pics over a secure server could be enough for a diagnosis and treatment, says
Dr. Stanwood. (This, btw, assumes your doctor is using a platform with a telemedicine component like Athenahealth or Epic that securely encrypts photos…so double-check! Also: These images go in your confidential records, not in your doctor’s camera roll, bless.) Or if you’re comfier video-chatting to show them the area in real time, you can totally do that instead.
Ofc, there will be times when all that isn’t enough for a diagnosis, at which point you’ll need to go to a testing lab or get an in-person exam after all, says Heather Irobunda, MD, an ob-gyn in NYC. And you’ll still have to go to the office eventually, bc science has yet to invent a virtual Pap smear or AI mammogram.
For now, though, you can relax knowing that lots of gyno concerns can be addressed from the comfort of your bed—no paper gowns necessary.