Contact the Student Health Service if you need a referral to a gynecologist 

If a student needs to see a gynecologist, how is the appointment booked?

That depends on what type of help or treatment you need, how old you are, if you are an exchange student or a degree student, and in what municipality you are registered.

The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) is available for all degree students (i.e. not exchange students). The FSHS does not employ specialist doctors like gynecologists but via them you get a referral to see the type of specialist you need.

The FSHS booking of appointments is done via an assessment of the need for treatment. You contact a healthcare provider who asks you questions via phone or chat. More info here.

The assessment of the need for treatment can lead to you getting an appointment with a general practitioner if your symptoms or need for help doesn’t require a specialist. You always have the right to see a female doctor if you are not comfortable getting treatment from a male doctor.

A referral to a gynecologist means that you get an appointment at the Wellbeing Services for the County (Varha in Åbo and the Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobotnia in Vasa). The queue for gynecologist appointments is generally not longer than 2-3 months.

Sometimes the FSHS has long queues, but it is your right as a degree student to get service there. We encourage you to be in contact as soon as you experience a need for treatment.

If you need help regarding contraception, are under 25 years old and are registered as living in Vasa or Åbo, the municipality will offer you free contraceptives via the municipality’s contraception counselling service.

If you are registered as living in another city, check the local information. In Åbo the contraception services are also free if you are under 25 or it’s under two years since you had a baby.

Exchange students get health care via the County Wellbeing Services and your local Health Station.

This text is an attempt to describe the services and your right to treatment as simply as possible. If you have more questions, or have experienced that this does not work, please be in contact with our employee Students’ Rights Expert Petra Lindblad, at petra@studentkaren.fi