Ladies, if you know you have a GYN appointment coming up, do you refrain from vaginal sex? How long?

You know what? That was really relieving what you ssaid about the GYN never finding evidence of sex! lOL. I really hate not having sex for the week I'm due for exams so the past year, I've not worried about it. It seems we always end up doing it a day or sometimes the NIGHT right before my exam. Lol. Once I get in there though, I start thinking 'ugh! I hope they can't telll!' I have a STUPID pap coming up in less than a week and they're a really rough thing to go through for me. Just for some reason exams bring up really awful memories from my past and it always ruins me for a couple days and unfortunately my exam is scheduled the same darn week as my B-day! I HATE that. Lol. At least now I don't have to worry about putting off sex before going in. Ha HA.

OK I had more to add to that. lOL.


I don't want my dr to be able to tell when I've last had sex just because it's personal, but I wouldn't hold off really long just because I don't want them to know. I won't do it right before going in, but I did use to skip sex for the day before an exam. I mean they know I have sex so if they do see evidence I really can't see a reason for that to be bad. If they have an opinion about my sex life then piss on them. Lol. However, I don't think it would be bad if they were able to tell you've had sex recently. I used to be weird about it, but I'm as comfortable as a woman can get with their GYN. Lol. Also, she's a woman so I can feel comfortable and know that she understands, well, what it's like to be a woman wheras a male GYN could not ever begin to.

I have a history of "abnormal" test results, so I refrain from pretty much anything for about one week prior to an appointment. Seems to help.

I never hold off from sex. We have sex hours before I go.

I don't refrain.

We hold off for 24 hours before my appointment.

I've had sex hours before an OB/GYN appointment and I've never had problems with my tests. He's never said anything either, he just makes sure I use protection and he sends me off on my merry way.

I've never refrained, but I don't get pap's very often.

I've never refrained from sex when I have an upcoming appointment.

I've never refrained, never thought about refraining either.

You certainly don't have to hold off for a week! Sometimes, though, if the man ejaculated inside the vagina or lubricant was used or the sex was rough, it might be harder to get a good swab of cells for the PAP.

Probably 24 hours of abstaining from internal sex is fine. I've never abstained longer than that, but I have seen cases when we couldn't get a good sample of cells because of semen or lubricant or "deodorant suppositories" used in the vagina from that morning. Some women are better at "clearing out" the vagina more quickly than others (it's nothing you have any control of) and for others, semiliquids can stick around for a half a day or so.

NEVER douche before a GYN appointment, but I shouldn't have to say that. I remember years ago, calling women a few days before their PAP and pelvics to remind them not to douche. Not only is it bad for you, but it can change the appearance of the cells in some cases, or even cause the cells on the surface to be washed away, causing you to have to come back in a week for a second PAP. With the ThinPrep method, this is less of an issue, but it used to be one. Still, DON'T DOUCHE!

I have a very good and freindly relationship with my GYN. During my last PAP he asked me (during] "Is that your PremPro I'm seeing in there?" (I have to use a small amount of estrogen creme to treat an orgasm issue.) and I assured him it was. "Good," He said, "For a second I thought you either had a raging yeast infection or had a really good time last night!" (The cream is white.)