Women's health¹ refers to a wide range of specialties and focuses which include diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions that affect a woman's physical and emotional well-being. Women's health² is also defined in terms of reproductive health and diseases that affect the female reproductive organs.

You may be familiar with these healthcare professionals: obstetrician and gynaecologist. They are medical doctors specialised in providing care and treatment for pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive organ problems, and other women's health issues.

Understanding the difference between Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OB/GYN)

Obstetrics and gynaecology (OB/GYN) are two medical subspecialties under one branch of medicine. Both an obstetrician and a gynaecologist play a vital role in the overall healthcare of women.

What is Obstetrics?

Obstetrics refers to the specialty that involves care during pregnancy, childbirth, and after delivery. An obstetrician provides care for mother and foetus’ health during antenatal (pregnancy), intrapartum (childbirth or delivery), and postpartum (six weeks after birth) periods.

Furthermore, an obstetrician is also trained and experienced in managing complicated pregnancy-related conditions, which include:

• Ectopic pregnancy, which refers to a foetus growing outside of the uterus
• Preeclampsia, a medical condition that occurs because of hypertension or worsening of pre-existing hypertension during pregnancy that may lead to life-threatening multiple organ system damage
• Delivery through Caesarean section
• Foetal distress
• Placenta issues

What is Gynaecology?

Gynaecology refers to the specialty that treats medical conditions that affect the female reproductive system - cervix, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and vagina. A gynaecologist’s focus is on the non-pregnancy aspects of a woman’s reproductive health. These include:

• Abnormal or irregular menstruation
• Vaginal infection
• Cancer
• Pelvic organ prolapse - the descent of one or more pelvic floor organs
• Endometriosis - an abnormal growth of endometrial cells (tissue that lines the inside of your uterus) outside the uterus
• Abnormal cervical and vaginal tissue growth (polyps)
• Ovarian cysts
• Uterine fibroids

A gynaecologist can also perform screening tests such as mammograms, pap smears and pelvic examinations to detect the presence of cancer in the female body.

A medical doctor who specialises in both obstetrics and gynaecology specialties are known as an OB/GYN. They can provide a full and comprehensive care for their patients’ reproductive health needs.

Things you need to know before meeting an OB/GYN

An OB/GYN appointment may involve several types of examinations. The examination that an OB/GYN may choose to perform depend on the reason for a patient’s visit, their sexual activity and age.

These examinations include:

• External genital examination - involves an observation of the area around the vaginal opening, such as the labia, vulva, and clitoris.
• Pelvic examination - annual examination for women who are sexually active, which involves detecting abnormalities which affect the vagina, ovaries, cervix, and uterus.
• Breast examination - involves a check for lumps, as well as physical changes or abnormalities on the breasts, underarms or area below the clavicle that could indicate the presence of breast cancer.
• Pap smear - an examination that involves the collecting cells from the cervix to test for cervical cancer. It is performed every two to three years for women who are, or have been, sexually active. If two consecutive yearly results are negative, subsequent examination can be done every three years.

Top class women’s health services at Pantai Hospital

Pantai Hospital is committed towards improving the health of women every day through the provision of comprehensive obstetrics and gynaecological treatment and care. Our hospitals are also accredited by the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) for service quality excellence, which is testament to our capabilities as a stand-out facility for women’s health care in the country.

Led by a team of highly qualified obstetrics and gynaecologists and equipped with advanced medical technology, we can execute multiple treatment modalities and provide several clinical services, which include:

• Hysteroscopy - used to investigate gynaecological symptoms associated with abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, and treat certain gynaecological disorders
• Laparoscopy - used to visualise intra-abdominal organs, sampling tissue for laboratory investigation and treatment for several diseases
• Anterior vaginal wall repair surgery - a surgical procedure performed to treat urinary incontinence in a woman by bringing the bladder and urethra to their proper position
• Hysterectomy - a surgical procedure performed to remove a woman’s uterus
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - replaces low-level hormones in a woman’s body as she approaches menopause
• Miscarriage treatment
• Incontinence treatment

To book a consultation with our dedicated team of obstetricians and gynaecologists, do get in touch with us today.

Resources:

1. Women’s health. Accessed on Nov 22, 2021 from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007458.htm
2. Women’s Health. Accessed on Nov 22, 2021 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/womens-health