I'm new!

[nagyk.livejournal.com]

I feel like this could be such an obvious and silly question, but: does it make sense for a virgin to go to the gyno if her family history is clean and she's never had any sexual contact with anyone? My mother knows absolutely nothing about my sexual history and I'd like to keep it that way for a while. I'm eighteen, so I'm not worried about my doctor telling her anything. However, she's convinced that it's pointless.

Comments

[eatmyveggies.livejournal.com]

yes i agree, it's recommended either after first sexual contact or at age 18. i mean, hpv isn't the only cause of cervical cancer-- you just don't know. an exam is a good way to keep things in check.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

, hpv isn't the only cause of cervical cancer-- you just don't know.

Actually, hpv causes virtually all cervical cancer, and gynecological exams aren't necessary until three years after vaginal intercourse or age 21.

[kkgal42.livejournal.com]

I've always heard 18. And besides, there are other potential problems and cancers that have nothing to do with whether or not one has had sex (endometriosis, cysts, ovarian cancer) that don't always have obvious symptoms. It's also important for education on things like breast self exams, and to make sure the patient's periods are regular. As for your comment above regarding men vs. women, it is recommended for men to at least have testicular exams during physicals starting as early as their teens.

The OP is just trying to be proactive about her health. Many women put off going to the gynecologist for years when they actually do have a problem, just because they've never done it before and are scared, so I think it's great that she wants to protect herself.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

Ovarian cancer is extremely rare in young women. It is a concern of menopausal women. At any rate, there's no way to screen for it: it generally isn't found during a gynecological exam.

Endo doesn't need to be treated unless it's causing pain.

Cysts are normal in women of childbearing age and usually come and go on their own.

The patient knows whether her periods are regular or not! She doesn't need a doctor to tell her. Also, the idea of a regular cycle is artificial.

[superjen.livejournal.com]

my mother had cervical and ovarian cancer at age 25. i reckon it does happen. as for her sexual history-- no idea; never wanted to ask my mom that question.

[majellen.livejournal.com]

Still, it doesn't mean that people shouldn't receive regular medical care. A lot of young women simply don't understand what's going on with their bodies - as evidenced A LOT by many of the posts on this community alone. A trained professional can really help them with any questions they have.

"Normal" is such a loose term, as well. Most women I know, including myself, have often questioned "Is all this going on down here NORMAL?" Seeing a professional is always a much better idea than relying on the posts of internet strangers alone. (Not that I'm not grateful for this community, mind you!) It's just that a specialist can really alleviate those fears.

Out of curiosity, why are you so vehemently against people getting their regular pap screening and gyno exams?

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

See queensugar's comment below: Given the medical advice, I think people's opinions on this are very much a cultural issue -- it's what we've been taught.

It's just not evidence-based medicine. Of course, if the OP wants to go, she should. It's her body, and she can do whatever she wants with it.

[0-tammy-0.livejournal.com]

"Endo doesn't need to be treated unless it's causing pain."

Um yes it does it can effect your fertility later on and can spread and attach to other organs meaning major surgery. My mum suffered with it and my mother-in-law they both ended up having hysterectomy's at young ages and found it very hard to conceive.

You really should get your facts straight before being argumentative.

Fair enough you have your opinion but its rude to argue against other peoples when you haven't even got the facts straight yourself.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

This is getting rather far from the OP's question, but:

Women with asymptomatic endometriosis were no more likely to developpelvic pain over a 13-year period than were those without the disease at the start of a longitudinal study, Dr. Mette H. Moen reported at the World Congress on Endometriosis.

This finding suggests that asymptomatic endometriosis lesions should be left alone if they are encountered during laparoscopic exams conducted for reasons other than pelvic pain.

(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_9_37/ai_85591489)

I don't know enough to say whether women should worry about asymptomatic endo hurting fertility. Women I've known with endo got diagnosed because they had a problem (pain!).

[0-tammy-0.livejournal.com]

That is only one type of endo you cant make a comment like "Endo doesn't need to be treated unless it's causing pain."
when you only know about one type and the treatment involved around that. Yet again come down to you dont know it all and you need to get your facts straight.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

That is only one type of endo

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean by this. Endometriosis just means that tissue similar to the uterine lining is growing in places other than the uterus. ASFAIK, there's only one "type" unless you mean degree of severity or what organ it was attaching to. The women in the study I cited couldn't have had any particular type since they didn't even know they had endo: it was noticed while they were under for tubal ligations.

Anyway, to try to relate it to the original question--Should an asymptomatic 18 year old see a gynecologist on the outside chance she might have undiagnosed endometriosis?--the answer is no, simply because standard gynecological exams don't diagnose endo. Many women with endometriosis have no finding on physical examination, and symptoms [pain, particularly pain that follows the menstrual cycle] provide the only clues to the diagnosis. (http://www.emedicinehealth.com/endometriosis/page3_em.htm) It's not unusual for a pelvic examination to reveal no sign of possible endometriosis. (http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/endometriosis/EM_diagnosis.html)

Here's (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8131309&dopt=Abstract) another study which suggests asymptomatic endo should be left alone.

[dreammeanyway.livejournal.com]

what's wrong with the OP wanting to be proactive about her health?

[chaton-de-neige.livejournal.com]

My best friend was born at 7 months, because her mother, who was 26 at the time, had ovarian cancer that wouldn't have been detected until much later (and probably would have been fatal) if she hadn't been pregnant.

I was in the hospital for cysts at the age of 20, something that probably could have been prevented if my doctor had looked for them.

Girls should go get checked out, IMO. It's anecdotal in both cases, but I think any girl who wants to see a doctor should.

[jasminelily.livejournal.com]

I had a very large ovarian cyst a few months ago that had to be removed. They don't always come and go on their own, and because I make it a point to have regular pelvic exams, I could measure approximately how long it took to get that size, which was useful information for me and my doctor. It is really important for women to know about their health, and not to just not go to the doctor because they're scared of it, or to make up reasons why they shouldn't go. Ovarian cancer happens in young women; breast cancer happens in young women (and usually women don't get breast exams anywhere but their annual gyno exam). These are things that can be prevented if they're caught early, and can cause a lot of pain and heartache if they aren't.

[sarasnee.livejournal.com]

I had a friend at age 13 have her ovary removed from cancer.

[sadistic-crayon.livejournal.com]

I believe the recommended age varies according to geography. Different places suggest different ages.