 [ Symptoms ] must i have a pelvic exam i have had a complete hysterectomy i have never had any vaginal problems i am 74 [ Disease ] i sense your frustration    and empathize with it as women age they need to reassess which screenings are appropriate and which are not you are clearly in reassessment mode only you can decide whether or not to continue having pelvic exams all individuals have the right to refuse treatment at any time i am not advocating that you do so however a pelvic exam covers more than simply evaluating the vagina during a pelvic exam your health care provider can gain valuable information about other abdominal structures such as your bladder and colon conditions like prolapsed bladder and rectovaginal fistula a not uncommon complication that can occur years after a hysterectomy often are first discovered during a routine pelvic examination you may be thinking for heaven is sake i think i would know it if i had a prolapsed bladder  to which i would reply you might be surprised how many women live with a prolapsed bladder for a long time before they are aware of it  also i would point out your question is not simply yes or no  for example you and your health care provider could agree for you to have a pelvic exam only every other year or every five years or whatever you and your provider are comfortable with if your provider is doing a pap smear of your vaginal tissue during these exams it is worth noting the research does not support doing this vaginal cancers are extremely rare while performing unnecessary pap smears add to the overall cost of health care delivery if you had a hysterectomy due to cervical or uterine cancer that is a different story again every woman has individual needs and should take her family health history into consideration before deciding what exams and screenings make sense as she ages wishing you well