Print, Share, or View Spanish version of this article. A pelvic exam is not a regular part of adolescent health checkups. However, if you have a problem involving your female reproductive organs, such as an unusual discharge from your vagina, a pelvic exam may be needed. Here is information from the American Academy of Pediatrics about what to expect during your first pelvic exam.

The sexually quiescent human vagina is a just moist, potential space with a minimal blood flow and very low luminal oxygen tension. The first measurable sign of sexual arousal is an increase in the blood flow. This creates the engorged condition, elevates the luminal oxygen tension and stimulates the production of surface vaginal fluid by an increased plasma transudation that saturates the fluid reabsorptive capacity of the epithelium. The vaginal lubrication created allows painless penile penetration and coital movements. VIP is present in nerves closely applied to blood vessels in the vaginal wall.

The human vagina is known to be heavily innervated by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide VIP immunoreactive nerve fibres. In the present study we have examined the effect of VIP pmol x kg-1 x h-1, IV during 30 min on vaginal lubrication and blood flow in fourteen normal non-pregnant women. Vaginal blood flow was measured by the heat clearance technique and the vaginal lubrication quantified by the weight gain of preweighed filter papers placed on the surface of the vaginal wall for 30 min.

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