Gyno Q+A Blowout!

Vag acting strange? Baffled by birth control? Top docs give real-talk answers to your most intimate inquiries.

Can my gyno tell if I’ve gotten busy before my annual exam?

A_ If you didn’t use a condom, then probably, says ob-gyn Jennifer Ashton, MD, Cosmo Health Advisory Board member. And if she has to dig through semen to see and swab your cervix, you could get inaccurate Pap results. Do yourself—and your doc—a favor and abstain for 48 hours before your appointment.

I’ve slept with a lot of dudes…okay?

A_ Real talk: The more sex partners you have, the higher your risk for STIs, says Dr. Ashton. That said, as long as you always practice safe sex, get screened for STIs at least once a year, and ask your lovahs to show you their latest test results (and request they hit the doc if it’s been a minute since their last scan), you don’t need to stress about it, says Taraneh Shirazian, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Health.

My pee feels hot coming out. What’s up?

A_ Your urine is around the same temp as your bod, roughly 98.6 degrees. If it feels noticeably warmer, that could signal a urinary tract infection, especially if you have classic symptoms such as pain while peeing or constant trips to the baño, says Andrea Chisholm, MD, an obgyn in Cody, Wyoming. See your doc for a test and, if you do have a UTI, a script for antibiotics.

Is it okay to shave those rando hairs on my boobs?