Hello Dr. Betty,

I am a relatively new female physician, and I am writing to ask for some advice when providing gynaecological care for patients.

Specifically, my colleagues and I have noticed that whenever we need to perform any sort of pelvic exam, female patients almost always apologize. This usually takes the form of apologizing for their lack of shaving or waxing, any perceived abnormal anatomy, or many times women are just apologetic or ashamed in general. Interestingly, none of us have ever had a male patient apologize when performing a genital exam. Sometimes, I think that women are more worried about what they think their physician/nurse thinks about about "how they look," than the actual pelvic exam itself.

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