During the pelvic exam, there is always a sheet over your knees so you have privacy, and if there is anyone else in the room, only the doctor can see what's under the sheet. I like the sheet because I can't see what's going on, so it makes me more comfortable.

Q: I've heard girls say, "I'm scared to go to the gynecologist because I'm worried that I smell, or I'm too hairy, or not clean..." What do you think of that?

A: I think with all the commercials these days about feminine wipes and things like that, sometimes people get excessively worried about the smell, and very rarely is there any sort of problem with a smell. If there IS a problem with the smell, it's usually a medical condition we can treat. So, patients shouldn't be embarrassed about smell or hair or anything like that. I've seen a wide range!

Again, everyone is a little different and I've seen it all. I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were a patient. Especially hair...that's a very wide range, and it's more of a recent phenomenon that people started waxing totally bare. There's no need to do that for a gynecological exam.