We polled over 60 of our readers to learn about how often they visit their gynecologist, if ever, and about the overall culture of     gynecologists in Egypt. We found out we have quite an unhealthy relationship when it comes to caring for our bodies with 65% of respondents reporting only visiting their gynos when the need arises.

We’re sharing the detailed results of the survey below, shedding light on why we don’t want to visit the doctor, how we feel about female gynos and how our parents factored into forming this attitude.

But it isn’t really enough for you to know you’re not the only 30-year-old who has never been to a gyno, the next step is for you to act. Read “This is Why you Need to Visit your Gyno” to learn more about the risks you are running if you choose not to get regular checkups, when and how often you need to visit your doctor as well as the tests you need to have done regularly to avoid complications and serious diseases. If we managed to convince you that it’s time to make that uncomfortable visit, check out “Tried and Tested Gynos” to see the list of recommendations our readers have kindly shared.

The Survey:

Age of respondents: Between 21 to 55

Social class: Upper and middle class

Sexually Active: 65%

Sexually Inactive: 35%

65% of you reported only visiting a gyno when the need arises while 15% reported never having been to one. Did we mention the youngest in this survey is a 21 year old? We wonder if you’re as disappointed as we are.

Gynecologist and medical director of the Gohar Hospital, Hussein Gohar, advises both sexually active and inactive women to schedule periodical visits to their gynos. While women in their 20s can go every two years, women in their 30s need to go once a year.

20% of respondents have first visited a gyno when they had an issue that required medical help while 18% went before marriage and 13% when they got pregnant. We won’t preach since the author of this article only had her first gyno visit a month ago, at the age of 27 and after two and a half years of marriage, but seriously, we need to make some radical attitude changes here. Dr. Gohar advises women to start going to a gynecologist for periodic checkups starting their late teens — not when they get pregnant and definitely not when they have a serious issue that needs medical help.

How did you learn about your gynecologist?

Family: 50%

Friends: 48.3%

Another doctor’s referral: 1.7%

Have your parents ever advised you to go to a gyno?

Yes: 20

No: 36

And here are some interesting responses you gave us to that question:

“My mom actually advised against because I am not sexually active.”

“No, and when I wanted to go when I was a girl, mum didn’t find a reason [why I should go.] And when I experienced some burning, mum gave me a medicine she was using.”

When you had your first visit to the gynecologist, what were your concerns? Or if you never visited one, what are the concerns keeping you from going? (Selected responses)

–       “How the checkups would be carried out.”

–       “I don’t trust Egyptian doctors in general.”

–       “I am shy.”

–       “We never had this habit in our society, if you’re not married, then you’re a virgin then you have no need for a gyno.”

–       “Would anything hurt?”

–       “I was concerned about the physical and vaginal examinations.”

–       “I hate the check up because I get very shy.”

–       “I just felt uncomfortable, but the fact [my doctor] turned to be a female made it better, or at least less stressful for me.”

–       “My mum was with me and I was a bit shy of her.”

–       “My main concern was the uncomfortable talk about periods and sexual life with a man I don’t know.”

–       “Discomfort and judgment since I’m sexually active, yet not married.”

–       “I don’t think they have much to say here, they never have enough information or can’t be bothered to give you enough advice.”

–       “The long time you spend waiting for the doctor to arrive.”

–       “Being exposed.”

Concerns keeping women from going for regular checkups ranked according to relevance to the polled women:

1. I do not have a reason to go
2. I am too lazy to go for regular checkups without having a medical condition
3. I am shy
4. I am not sexually active
5. I haven’t found the right one yet
6. I am sexually active but concerned about social stigma of pre-marital sex
7. I am scared of indecent behavior from the gynecologist’s part

Interesting stats:

19.2% of respondents do not have a gynecologist

Only 17.3% of respondents have female gynecologists while 67.3% have male doctors.

44% of respondents who have female gynecologists have chosen their doctors because they were the first they ever visited, 44% of them chose a female gyno because they feel more comfortable with them than with male gynos.

11% of respondents who have female gynecologists have chosen them because their husbands do not want them going to a male gyno.