Receipt of Pelvic Examinations Among Women Aged 15-44 in the United States, 1988-2017.

Pelvic examination has been commonly performed as part of a physical examination for women in the United States. However, the value of routine pelvic examinations has been questioned recently (1,2). In 2012, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended annual pelvic examinations for women aged 21 and over as part of the well-woman visit (3). In 2018, ACOG advised that pelvic examinations be performed when indicated by medical history or symptoms (4). Using National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) data through 2017 for women aged 15-44, this report describes trends overall and by age since 1988 in the receipt of pelvic examinations in the past year, and differences by Hispanic origin and race, education, poverty status, and health insurance status for 2015-2017.