Gynecological examination for children
A gynecological examination may also be necessary for children. The most common reason for examination is suspicion of physical and sexual abuse. The most important thing in a child’s gynecological examination is to deal with the situation in a child-friendly manner, taking into account the child’s age.
The child must be given plenty of time to get used to the situation. He or she should also be actively involved in the examination process and, for example, if possible take off his or her own clothes. In this way, the child gets the feeling that he or she can control the situation himself or herself.
With older children it is also particularly important that a same-sex examiner is chosen, as the shame before the opposite sex can be very pronounced. The child should also be clearly informed about all examination steps. If the child refuses an examination, he or she should not be forced but should be convinced of it with time and patience.
For children, certain body positions are suitable for the gynecological examination, such as the knee-elbow position, in which both the genital and anal regions can be inspected well. It should be noted, however, that this position can bring back to mind possible sexually traumatic events, as many cases of abuse are associated with such a body position of the child. In order to secure traces of sperm, the child should be examined in the first 24 hours after the suspected assault, otherwise possible traces cannot be determined with certainty.
Swabs are taken from the mouth, vagina and anal region and examined for pathogens and sperm. Since traces of sperm do not necessarily have to be in the child’s body orifices, the child’s clothing and, if possible, the environment in which the assault took place should also be examined for such traces. However, the reason for a gynecological examination in children is not always suspicion of sexual abuse.
Children can also suffer from gynecological diseases, for example bacterial or fungal infections.A gynecological examination may then be necessary. There are gynecologists who specialize in pediatric gynecology. In order to make the examination situation as pleasant as possible for the little patients, the treatment rooms are furnished in a child-friendly manner and the doctor takes enough time for the child. It can help very anxious children to sit on the lap of a caregiver during the examination.
