Taking care of your health is the most important thing a person should do. If you are a woman, the topic of women’s health is something you were introduced to during your teen years, and it is and will always be something vital for your overall health.
Health checkups, especially those regarding women’s reproductive health, can sometimes cause frustration and confusion, mainly when they include a series of unknown words.
Sometimes even the most commonly used words can be confusing. And some of those words that confuse many women are obstetrician and gynecologist. Aren’t those two words the same thing? Or are obstetricians and gynecologists different doctors from two other medical fields?
If you are too confused by these two words and you are looking for an obstetrician in Jacksonville or a gynecologist, you are at the right place. We will talk more about the difference between gynecologists and OBGYNs and why it is essential to know it. With our help, you’ll finally know to recognize a gynecologist vs. obstetrician and how to find the best one.
How to Distinguish the Difference?
It’s not difficult to understand the difference between gynecologist and OBGYN if you know that they specialize in two different medical fields. Yes, they both are in the field of women’s reproductive health, but the main difference between gynecologist vs. obstetrician is in their practice and medical specialty.
A gynecologist can provide routine checkups and care of a women’s reproductive system and treat various diseases and disorders that only affect women. At the same time, an OBGYN is a doctor who can care for women’s overall health while caring for pregnant and postpartum women.
What Is an Obstetrician?
An obstetrician, also known as OB, is a doctor that can help women with planning pregnancy and help women during and after giving birth. Obstetricians are trained to perform both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. They are also qualified to deal with any complications during pregnancy and labor.
An obstetrician helps with the following:
- Giving prenatal care
- Helping with all of the pregnancy symptoms
- Preparing for giving birth
- Advising on how to carry a healthy pregnancy
- Conducting routine checkups before and during pregnancy
They also provide care if there are complications like:
- Fetal distress
- Issues with placenta
- Ectopic pregnancy
- High blood pressure during pregnancy
- Preeclampsia
- Postpartum depression
What Does a Gynecologist Do?
A gynecologist is a doctor who takes care of women’s reproductive health and all of its non-pregnancy aspects. A gynecologist can perform regular checkups, give straightforward advice on reproductive health, treat severe infections and diseases, and perform surgical procedures such as hysterectomy. Every woman that hits puberty or is sexually active should have regular gynecology checkups. A pelvic exam can be done during the checkups, or a Pap smear and colposcopy.
Regular checkups are a form of preventative care because gynecologists are trained to diagnose abnormalities, illnesses, infections, and other problems considering women’s reproductive health.
Besides diagnosing, a gyno can also treat those conditions, prescribe medication, and administer it. If you are not sure if a gynecologist can help you, here are some of the health issues that a gynecologist can help you with:
- Breast abnormalities like lumps
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Bacterial infections
- Yeast infections
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Infertility issues
A regular checkup is of great importance because a gynecologist can recognize the first signs of severe health problems like cervical or breast cancer. Discovering such a health problem in its early stages is of utmost importance because more treatments are available. Other severe health problems that can be discovered during a gynecology exam are:
- Pelvic prolapse
- Endometriosis
- Vaginal and cervical polyps
- Ovarian cysts
- Ovarian cancer
- Vaginal cancer
- Uterus cancer
- Cervix cancer
- Fibroids
A good gynecologist should be there for their patients, not only for checkups but also for counseling. If you have any problems with irregular menstrual cycles, painful menstruation or intercourse, any issues regarding menopause, or you have questions about the safest and easiest contraception; your gynecologist can help you. Any concerns or any questions that you may have, you should be able to ask your gynecologist.
What Is an OBGYN?
There can be a lot of confusion once the abbreviation OBGYN is introduced. And we already mentioned what does it mean, and now we will talk about it a bit more.
An OBGYN is a doctor who can care for women of all ages, helping them with various issues while also caring for pregnant women and those who recently gave birth. An OBGYN can perform routine gynecology checkups, perform Pap smears, treat infections, provide women with preventative care, or perform breast and pelvic exams. Besides that, they can also provide support and care for patients who want to get pregnant, are pregnant, or recently were pregnant, everything that an obstetrician would do.
Are Obstetricians and OBGYN the Same?
To conclude, an obstetrician and an OBGYN are similar in many ways, yet different.
An obstetrician, as we explained, is a doctor who specializes in obstetrics and can provide care for pregnant and postpartum women. The abbreviation OBGYN stands for both obstetrician and gynecologist, meaning that the doctor is specialized both in pregnancy and postpartum care and providing care for women’s reproductive health. An OBGYN specialist can help women of all ages and support them in the preventative stages of their reproductive health and during pregnancy and postpartum.
How to Choose the Best Doctor for Me?
Now that you know the difference between a gynecologist and an OBGYN, how can you choose between them? What’s the best option when it comes to OBGYN vs. gyno? Or gynecologist vs. obstetrician?
The easiest way to choose the right doctor is to ask yourself what you need. Do you have any health concerns, are you suspicious of a sexually transmitted disease, are you planning a pregnancy? Or are you just looking to find a trusty doctor where you can do your regular checkups?
If you have any concerns about your reproductive health or want to do a regular checkup, you should seek a gynecologist.
If you are planning a pregnancy or are currently pregnant, you should go to an obstetrician.
And if you are seeking a long-term doctor that can help you with regular checkups, any issues you currently have and can also help you with planning a pregnancy in the future, you can get help from an OBGYN.
Your OBGYN In Jacksonville, Fl
Finding a good OBGYN is essential for taking care of your health. A great doctor will be able to help you with any health concern regarding your reproductive health, give you advice, and guide you through your pregnancy and the days that come after.
It’s essential to acknowledge the importance of regular checkups and start caring for your health. If you are looking for an obstetrician or a gynecologist that you can trust, you are at the right place. Here at Trogolo Obstetrics and Gynecology, our primary goal is to help women care for their reproductive health during every stage of their life. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us. We are here to help you, so don’t hesitate to call us today to book an appointment so that we can talk about anything that concerns you.
