OB-GYN vs. Dokter Kandungan: What Is the Difference?
An OB-GYN doctor in Jakarta or elsewhere treats more than pregnancy. Learn how obstetrics and gynecology differ and what each specialty covers.
Most people think of an OB-GYN as a doctor who handles pregnancy. That description is incomplete. An OB-GYN doctor in Jakarta, or anywhere else, treats more than pregnancy and the womb. Curious about the full picture? Read on.
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What Is an OB-GYN Doctor?
OB-GYN is short for obstetrics and gynecology, and in Indonesia these doctors hold the title SpOG (Spesialis Obstetri dan Ginekologi). The term is not a single concept. It combines two fields: obstetrics and gynecology. So what do they mean? Obstetrics is the specialty that deals specifically with pregnancy and childbirth.
Gynecology, meanwhile, focuses on problems of the female reproductive organs. An OB-GYN therefore handles not only pregnancy and childbirth but also conditions that affect a woman's reproductive organs. Broadly speaking, both fields share the same scope of work: women's health.
For that reason, the two were merged into one discipline called OB-GYN. In Indonesia, these doctors are known as dokter kandungan. An OB-GYN in Jakarta or elsewhere does treat pregnancy-related concerns, but also other women's health issues.
Examinations Performed by an Obstetrician
During pregnancy, an obstetrician checks your health to see whether any condition could affect the baby. The obstetrician also monitors you regularly with ultrasound scans, helps you manage morning sickness, and gives advice on staying healthy during pregnancy.
This doctor also manages childbirth and its complications, such as premature birth, preeclampsia, uterine rupture, and bleeding during or after delivery. You will usually be asked to come in for a routine visit each trimester to track your baby's development. The frequency of visits varies from patient to patient.
Examinations Performed by a Gynecologist
While the obstetrics side of an OB-GYN in Jakarta looks after pregnancy, a gynecologist focuses on the women's health problems that women commonly experience. These problems can affect teenagers, adult women who are not married, and married women alike.
The conditions treated usually involve the vulva and vagina, such as nonmenstrual bleeding, vaginal discharge, and vulvovaginitis. Gynecologists also treat problems of the fallopian tubes and ovaries, such as cysts, endometriosis, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and ovarian tumors. Menstrual problems are another focus of gynecology.
Now that you know what an OB-GYN is, you can see how an OB-GYN differs from a dokter kandungan. The two names are equally popular, but the medical care they cover differs. Pregnancy concerns are handled by obstetrics, and women's health problems are treated by gynecology.
