According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a pelvic exam is performed to check whether internal female organs are normal by examining and feeling their shape and size. During a pelvic exam, your provider will have you lie on a table and place your feet into stirrups, reports the NIH. Then, your doctor will use a device called a speculum to open your vagina and inspect the health of your female organs, including your cervix, fallopian tubes, vulva, ovaries, and uterus.