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[xallix.livejournal.com]

When is it a good time to start seeing an OB/GYN??

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[isolt.livejournal.com]

Planned Parenthood can also charge it to your insurance. I tend to like them a lot; they've always been there for me when I needed them :)

Gyno visits are essential for women's health, I'm 99.99% sure that your checkup will be covered, and probably also the STD testing, though I'd need someone to back me up on this. You should get the STD testing even if it's not covered. You'll just have to pay the co-pay, like you said, and I'm sure your mom would be all in favour of you getting a checkup, just based on your age.

Since you've not been using condoms, you might also want to ask your doctor about other forms of birth control while you're there. There are a lot of options out there. BC pills aren't really that much - about $12 a month. I don't know about pricing on other forms of bc. At your age, getting pregnant would be way more devastating than getting an STD (unless of course you got HIV). I know it would be for me.

Another thing that might not be a bad idea is to make a checklist of all your concerns to take with you when you go to the doctor so that you don't forget to ask them anything :)

By the way, even if you come out clean on your tests, that doesn't mean that your boy is clean as well - either make him present a doctor's note before you let him have condom-free sex with you again, or make him wear a condom every single time. If he's such a big asshole as to be both unwilling to wear a condom *and* get tested in this day and age, then he doesn't deserve to have sex with you, or anyone else. If you're worried about condom costs, I know a ton of people that don't even buy them, because there are so many places that give them out free.

Sorry to go into lecture mode on you - take good care of yourself sweetie :)