text: what is a pelvic exam?   a pelvic exam is different from a biopsy. the person above described a uterine biopsy.   a plain jane pelvic exam, also called a well woman exam or my personal favorite, "going to the icky doctor". is very simple and not painful at all.   the ob/gyn, or even a general practitioner, can do this. this is when the doctor checks the cervix for abnormalities. most docs use the newer method of using a small brush (looks like a pipe cleaner on a stick to me) to gather cells from your cervix.   these cells are then sent for testing and you may have to wait about a week for results.   in addition to this the doc will check your other female organs by pressing on your lower abdomen. check out this site for details.   if this is your first one, try to relax your muscles as much as you can when having the exam. oh, and don't go too close to your period...before or after.   best wishes to you.