Does anyone know of a good gynecologist in Taipei?
Preferably a female obgyn who has a private clinic and takes the national health insurance.
BTW, when’s the last time YOU had a PAP smear?
It’s something we foreigners tend to put off living in Taipei, or at least make excuses for neglecting…like “we hate them!”
But,
I was with 5 females tonight (ages between 25-40+) who haven’t had ‘the smear’ ranging from 2 years to never!
This is not good.
Taiwanese women also tend to put them off, and I get the impression it’s not a high priority to inform women of the importance of having them in Taiwan. IE>infrequency of public service announcements on TV, etc.
But I have known two Taiwanese ladies to have been diagnosed with uterine cancer at very young ages.
Thanks for any info or ideas on this matter.
PS> Guys, if you care, you may want to ask your girlfriends if they get PAP smears. You might be surprised with their answers.
Hey, this topic is “Women Only”. You’re just trying to see who’s peeking, aren’t you?
Seriously, though, human papillomavirus (HPV) is more common than most people suspect. In the US, at least, about 2/3 of people who have sex will get it at some time.
HPV is the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer. Unfortunately, the kind of HPV that causes warts usually does’t cause any noticable symptoms, so most people don’t know they have this infection until a doctor tells them.
You (and guys as well) might also want to get checked for other STDs while you’re in there. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are major causes of infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and ectopic pregancy in women. Unfortunately, women with these infections commonly don’t have any symptoms until the damage has been done. And just because you practice safe sex doesn’t mean you won’t get these infections. HPV and other STDs can be transmitted through areas that aren’t covered by condoms.
Unfortunately, doctors are hesitant to bring up the issue of sexual health with patients. Most STDs can be passed on to your partner even if you don’t have any symptoms. Here’s a link for general information on STDs: http://www.ashastd.org/stdfaqs/index.html