[Brandye]

No doctor should tell anyone anything. I do not allow mothers in the exam room when I am doing first gyn exams. Pisses some off but the rest know their daughter is getting a good education and will have a purse full of hidden brochures when she leaves.

With riding, sport, tampons and other activities, hymen went long ago. I rarely find more than the slightest hint of of one any more. No assumptions are possible about sexual activity based on the absence of the hymen. If it is intact, then we assume virginity. In short, your doctor will not "know." The first exam rarely involves insertion of anything other than the doctors finger. It is probing but need not be painful. If you have had a penis in there, the finger will not be a challenge. Just relax.

Shaving is irrelevant. Cleanliness is appreciated but DO NOT douche. If any swabs need to be made, they need to capture the natural flora and fauna of the vagina. Douching upsets the balance and renders tests irrelevant. If you are not using condoms, you may want to avoid sex for about twenty-four hours.