Abstract

Purpose: To determine if urinary symptoms are more common in women during the 4 weeks after a routine pelvic examination. Methods: This was a 4-week, prospective, observational cohort study in a Family Medicine residency clinic at an urban university. Participants included women ages 18 to 40 years who identified them-selves as sexually active and who presented for a routine pelvic examination. Controls were women pre-senting for other health maintenance with no pelvic examination. Independent variables included age, pelvic examination/no pelvic examination, intercourse frequency, and condom use. Dependent variables included dysuria and urinary frequency. Relative rates of dysuria and frequency were compared using 2 analysis. Mean rates of dysuria, frequency, intercourse, and condom use were compared using 2-tailed t tests. Results: Sixty-three subjects and 87 controls completed the study. More subjects had days with dys-uria (17 % vs 7%; P <.01), days with frequency (27 % vs 14%; P <.01), days with both dysuria and fre-quency (13 % vs 3%; P <.01), and days with either dysuria or frequency (32 % vs 17%; P <.01). Sub-jects had less intercourse than controls (1.6 times per week vs 2.2 times per week; P <.01) and used condoms less frequently (33 % vs 41%; P <.01). Conclusions: Dysuria and urinary frequency are more common among sexually active women during the month after a routine pelvic examination. (J Am Board Fam Med 2011;24:290–295.)