When to start going to a gynecologist
When Should You See a Gynecologist for the First Time | Madge the Vag | Scary Mommy
(funky music)
- Going to the gyno is fun!
(upbeat music)
Vaginas are confusing,
especially when they're not your own!
Twhat's up ladies, I'm Madge the Vag,
and today: taking your daughter to the gyno,
when you should do it and what you can expect,
because their cooters are counting on you.
Do you know what age your daughter
should start going to the gynecologist?
- I guess when she gets her period?
- Maybe before that, so even nine to 12 I guess.
- 10 or 11 because I don't want her to be like confused,
or maybe I don't know, that's what I think.
- I don't know!
We're here with Dr. Poynor, gynecologist.
My daughter has a vagina,
and I'm so confused.
When do I start taking her to the gyno?
- That's a very personal decision.
I think when young women begin to have their periods
and have questions about menses and their periods,
so that conversation should start
between you, your daughter,
and also the pediatrician very importantly, also.
I always think right before college
is a really great time to go to the gynecologist.
I serve as a touch dome for many young women
just if they can call me.
I may help them with birth control
or conversations about safe sex,
but they always have somebody that they can reach out to.
- So when my daughter goes for her first gyno exam,
does she go yearly after that first one or what happens?
- I am actually a fan of the annual visit
because it allows you to review good health habits.
It also allows you to look at some signs and symptoms,
period pain basically, if it's becoming excessive,
some young women may say
well it's just my period, I need to deal with it.
But if the physician or the gynecologist
hears that there's an escalation pain,
it may prompt to do something else.
- Can I go in with her, how does that work?
Can we come on in, take a pic?
Walkie-talkie?
- That's a personal decision,
that's the relationship between mother and daughter.
I always defer to the parent in this situation,
the mother in this situation.
Sometimes mothers are in the room, sometimes they're not.
- So what exactly happens at the first visit?
- What we do is many times we just converse, right?
If a women is young and she's just had her period,
we begin to talk about sex and safe sex.
We also converse especially after
a young women has her period
about how to manage painful periods,
how to manage irregular periods,
what the expectations are.
- When do girls get their first pap smear?
- We don't recommend pap smears until a women is 21.
- Oh, okay.
- That's when we start because the risk of invasive cancer
is quite low before that.
So 21 is the age to start pap smears.
We recommend cultures, though,
yearly screening cultures for gonorrhea and chlamydia
because remember chlamydia can be completely asympomatic
and it is a sexually transmitted disease,
and it does lead to infertility
if not treated appropriately.
But once a women becomes sexually active,
we begin to talk about inspecting the genitalia,
that type of thing,
making sure everything is okay.
So those are other things just
to listen and pay attention to
that a gynecologist may be a little bit
more in tune to then a pediatrician.
- At what age do you think they
start getting their pap smear?
- I have no idea.
- That I don't know,
I wanna say whenever she gets her first period,
but that could be wrong.
- I guess once they start becoming sexually active?
- Well around 21.
- Okay.
- You know they're in college, it's time.
- Well then that's not the same thing. (laughs)
- Could be or couldn't be.
When the time comes, I hope you feel prepared.
And consider taking your daughter to your doctor,
family history is important.
And who knows, they might see a family resemblance.
And don't forget to talk to your family doctor
about the HPV vaccine, they'll thank you for it later.
I'm Madge the Vag.
If you have any questions or comments,
put them in my box, my inbox that is.
