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It may be used to diagnose ectopic pregnancy, determine multiple pregnancies, locate the placenta, identify ovarian cysts and pelvic cancers, and visualize tubo-ovarian abscesses. The patient prepares for the ultrasound by removing her clothing from the waist down and dressing in a clean gown. She is helped into a supine position on an examination table, and her knees are placed in approx. 90° of flexion with her feet supported in stirrups. The ultrasound transducer is covered with a condom or sterile glove coated with a lubricant gel. The patient is told that the probe will be inserted into her vagina, and that the gel may feel cold and slippery. The probe is then directed toward the internal organs, from which sound wave (echo) images are obtained, usually painlessly and without ionizing radiation exposure.