Doctors' group advises against regular pelvic exams

Doctors should stop performing routine pelvic exams, a key component of regular physicals for women, an influential medical group said Monday. There is no evidence that such pelvic exams are useful and plenty to suggest that the procedure provokes fear, anxiety and pain in many women, the American College of Physicians said in a new practice guideline for doctors. The college's guideline was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and was accompanied by an article reviewing the scientific evidence. The recommendation applies only to routine checkups for healthy women, not to women who visit the doctor's office with medical complaints or who are pregnant.