Women's health

What is the difference between an obstetrician and a gynaecologist?

Most doctors in this field, like Dr Karen Morton, do both obstetrics and gynaecology because they are closely related, but there are subtle differences between the two.

An obstetrician is a doctor who looks after women when they are pregnant. Midwives generally manage normal, uncomplicated pregnancies, but if there are complications of pregnancy, an obstetrician gets involved.

Equally, an obstetrician will need to be present if there are problems during delivery. For example, they may need to deliver babies who get stuck in labour using forceps or a ventouse suction cap, and in some cases, they may need to do a caesarean section. Other complications of labour, such as haemorrhage or nasty vaginal tears, are also the remit of an obstetrician.

A gynaecologist looks after all ‘women’s things’ when they are not pregnant. Of course there is a fine line between the process of trying to get pregnant (fertility) and pregnancy itself, particularly in regard to early pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.

In many countries, having your own obstetrician gynaecologist is as common as having a trusted hairdresser or dentist.

The most common gynaecological queries

The most common queries that our GPs and gynaecologists deal with include the Mirena® coil, vaginal dryness, bacterial vaginosis and smear tests. Find out more about each topic below, and how Dr Morton's® can help.

The Mirena® coil

The Mirena® coil is a popular form of contraception. The coil is an "intrauterine device" or "intrauterine system", meaning it sits inside the womb. The tiny plastic device releases tiny amounts (just 20 micrograms) of a complex molecule called levonorgestrel every day for approximately five years.

A useful side effect of this is that the Mirena® coil can be used to treat heavy periods, and can make a huge difference to the lives of women who suffer from uncontrollable vaginal bleeding.

Some women our doctors speak to worry about the negative side effects of the coil, such as weight gain and increased bleeding. Find out more about this in Dr Karen Morton's video. If you still have concerns, one of our doctors would be more than happy to have a chat with you.

Vaginal dryness

When a woman goes through the menopause, her body effectively becomes oestrogen deficient. Without oestrogen to 'nourish' the vaginal tissues, they lose their moisture and elasticity, and become thin and dry. This can result in vaginal dryness, or 'atrophic vaginitis'.

Symptoms include:

• painful sex
• bleeding after sex
• vaginal discharge
• itching 'down below'

Vaginal dryness can be easily treated with Dr Morton's Prescription© for vaginal dryness, but it is really important that you talk to a doctor if you are experiencing any bleeding after the menopause, or bleeding after sex, as both could be a sign of cervical cancer.

Bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) occurs when the balance of bacteria inside the vagina becomes disturbed. Symptoms include:

• mucosy discharge
• white or grey vaginal discharge
• pain in the vagina
• abnormal odour
• burning in the vagina
• cloudy vaginal discharge

BV is not serious for most women, and in around half of women there are no symptoms. For those who experience that fishy vaginal discharge, the problem can be very embarrassing, so don't suffer in silence - have a look at Dr Morton's Prescription© for bacterial vaginosis. It is generally very treatable and nothing to worry about.

However, it may be a concern if symptoms of BV develop during your pregnancy. Take a look at this video about BV if you are worried, or talk to one of our doctors.

Smear tests

Another common worry is a cervical smear test result. Regular cervical smear tests are very important, even when you get older, and not everyone realises this.

The test is looking for abnormal cells in the cervix (the entrance to the womb), which might be cancerous cells, or might show that there is a high risk of cancer developing. Nowadays we know that the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer, so the smear test also looks for the types of HPV virus which are known to be suspicious.

Most smear test results show that everything is normal, but for one in twenty women, the test will show abnormal changes. Most of these changes don’t lead to cancer, but in some cases, it may be better to remove the area of abnormality. If you have an abnormal smear test, don’t panic - Dr Morton’s approachable doctors can reassure you and answer any questions.

Other problems we can help you with

• young women who are worried about why they haven't started their periods yet ('late menarche')
• pruritus vulvae (itching down below)
• frequent urination or urine leakage
• menopausal symptoms (including hot flushes
• abdominal pain in women
• prolapsed uterus and vagina
• excessive facial hair growth ('hirsutism')

Want to know more?

Related topics

• Cervical cancer symptoms
• Overcoming pruritus vulvae
• Menopause - it doesn't have to be like this
• Testosterone - I don't think so
• Cystitis and urinary tract infections
• Detecting fibroids with imaging
• PMS - a montly curse that can be lifted
• Periods and endometriosis

← back to other women's health matters