Why do women need exams?

[Pamela H in Texas]

Could y'all help me out with the reasons a young adult, not sexually active, should see a gynecologist?

My understanding is that she should at some point (what point is that?). I'm just not sure I know the reasons why.

Honestly, I cannot see this young woman agreeing to regardless, but....

[Jean in Newcastle]

Unless there is a menstrual problem (either too much or too little) or a lump found on a self breast exam, I don't really see the need for the exam.

[jplain]

IMO it's a good idea to get an annual breast exam done by a medical professional. A young woman's breast tissue is very dense, and a lump or suspicious spot could be missed during self-exams. It is unusual, but a young woman can develop breast cancer.

 

And a well-woman exam usually doubles as an annual physical anyway. Hypertension can affect all ages, some heart murmurs aren't detected until adulthood, etc....

 

Also, if a problem develops in the future, like a menstrual cycle problem, it is much easier to get good, timely care if you're already an established patient.

[aggieamy]

I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer when I was 17. I had no symptoms at all. Pretty darn glad that an OB/GYN figured that out.

 

There's a 15 year old girl in my AHG troop that is starting chemo this week because of breast cancer.

 

I think those are two reasons to see an OB/GYN regularly.

[Abigail4476]

Could y'all help me out with the reasons a young adult, not sexually active, should see a gynecologist?

My understanding is that she should at some point (what point is that?). I'm just not sure I know the reasons why.

Honestly, I cannot see this young woman agreeing to regardless, but....

 

I tried to book an appointment with a gynecologist earlier this year for dd16. Their office told me that unless my daughter is or is planning to be sexually active, there was no need to bring her in. I think the nurse might have mentioned irregular periods or something, so I guess if she has symptoms that point to a problem, they'll see her; otherwise it's unnecessary.

 

My mother took me when I was 16 because of irregular periods and they put me on the pill to regulate everything, so I assumed my daughter needed to go, too. Apparently that's not the case anymore. I'm fine with that and so is she. :lol:

[wapiti]

I saw an ob/gyn for the first time when I was about 21. I was having irregular periods (which I always had). Was told it was "normal" and sent on my way. Ten years later, I learned that my problem was PCOS. I really could have used that knowledge a whole lot earlier.

 

What about pap smears? Breast exam? Pelvic exam?

[regentrude]

Pap smear to detect abnormal developments in the cervix.

[aggieamy]

Wow, that's amazing and so unusual. My mother saw her OB regularly and her cancer was not discovered despite that until it was far too late. I'm so glad your situation turned out better!

 

It was really bizarre and I'm so lucky that a doctor looked at my test results and thought that they didn't look right and decided to investigate a bit more. I think that it would have been so easy for them to just send me home and check again when I came back in a year ... except I would have been dead by then.

[Farrar]

I don't think ovarian cysts, yeast infections, or many other normal things gyn's check for start with sexual activity.

[SKL]

It's not necessary to get a pap before one is sexually active. The other stuff - OK for a routine physical, if you want to do it. I don't think it's necessary, unless she has symptoms or a family history of something scary. Some people like to go in just to get a "baseline" for later comparison.

[Lolly]

They don't want to see them unless there is a problem or they are sexually active here. I have one dd who has very heavy, painful periods. I took her in for that. The doctor just put her on birthcontrol (what I figured she would do). No exam because she isn't active. So, she goes in, tells how she is doing, and gets a prescription. That is it; no exam.

[AngieW in Texas]

I asked my doctor when she'd recommend beginning gynecological exams. She said that unless you're sexually active or have a family history of problems, there really isn't any need to do it before 25yo. She would recommend by 25yo even if not sexually active.

[Sputterduck]

Pap smear to detect abnormal developments in the cervix.

 

But the vast, vast majority of the time that due to HPV, an STD.

[momma aimee]

I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer when I was 17. I had no symptoms at all. Pretty darn glad that an OB/GYN figured that out.

 

There's a 15 year old girl in my AHG troop that is starting chemo this week because of breast cancer.

 

I think those are two reasons to see an OB/GYN regularly.

 

Not all medical issues ae sexually tranmitted, and many females -- of all ages -- are too squmishy about their bodies, or just too unedcuated.

 

at almost 40 I am confident i go a decent breast exam, at 18 NOPE -- ok I pushed on it, **roll eyes** but didn't really get it.

 

cancer is not an STD but it is a killer -- HVP is a risk factor but not the ONLY cause of cancer.

[Unicorn.]

Unless there is a menstrual problem (either too much or too little) or a lump found on a self breast exam, I don't really see the need for the exam.

 

:iagree:

[DianeW88]

Most OB/GYN visits are symptomatic ones until you're an adult (over 21 or so). Now, if you're sexually active....that's a different story. And, for example, if one has a teen who was sexually active at 15, but is now 17 and never had sex another time after the first time...she still needs to be seen regularly.

 

Also, note the term "sexually active" is not the same as "had sexual intercourse". If one is engaging in sexual activity with another, even if the act itself isn't performed....I would recommend an exam. STDs can be spread through other activites besides just penetration.

[KristinaBreece]

Not all medical issues ae sexually tranmitted, and many females -- of all ages -- are too squmishy about their bodies, or just too unedcuated.

 

at almost 40 I am confident i go a decent breast exam, at 18 NOPE -- ok I pushed on it, **roll eyes** but didn't really get it.

 

cancer is not an STD but it is a killer -- HPV is a risk factor but not the ONLY cause of cancer.

 

Thank you. I keep hearing how HPV is THE cause of cervical cancer... but I have a documented family history of cervical cancer. My great-grandmother, my grandmother, and all of my mom's sisters. IDK about my grandmother & further back, but none of my aunts ever tested positive for HPV. Anecdotal, I know. But... yeah.

[Sputterduck]

Thank you. I keep hearing how HPV is THE cause of cervical cancer... but I have a documented family history of cervical cancer. My great-grandmother, my grandmother, and all of my mom's sisters. IDK about my grandmother & further back, but none of my aunts ever tested positive for HPV. Anecdotal, I know. But... yeah.

 

"Persistent HPV infections are now recognized as the cause of essentially all cervical cancers, as well as most cases of anal cancer."

 

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/HPV#

[momma aimee]

Thank you. I keep hearing how HPV is THE cause of cervical cancer... but I have a documented family history of cervical cancer. My great-grandmother, my grandmother, and all of my mom's sisters. IDK about my grandmother & further back, but none of my aunts ever tested positive for HPV. Anecdotal, I know. But... yeah.

 

very true -- HPV is dangeous, but you can not speak in general terms -- esp when it comes to health -- virgins die of cancer too.

 

I have had pre-cancerous cell treated several times, and some tests could have been low level cancer -- some biospies got 3 readings and all disagreed -- I do not have any STD

 

always and never are very dangerous words. no one loves a pap -- but a pap than a funeral

[Pamela H in Texas]

Wow, y'all are a mixed bag. LOL

 

I guess I'm wondering if it is like a dental exam where there are obvious benefits for every person over a year old (medicaid says 6mo). Or is it more like a body scan? The chances it will pull something up in a person who by all accounts otherwise are healthy is next to nil. And at what point does it move up the continuum? At 16? 18? 21? 25? 30?

[Puma Mom]

My borderline developmentally delayed sister is 50yo and has never had a gynecological exam. She is not active, and it was slightly traumatic for her to just get a bre@st exam so she's never gone through the ordeal of the other.

[Night Elf]

My mother took me when I was 16 because of irregular periods and they put me on the pill to regulate everything, so I assumed my daughter needed to go, too. Apparently that's not the case anymore. I'm fine with that and so is she. :lol:

 

I took my oldest dd to the gyn when she was 15 yrs. old for heavy bleeding and severe cramps. They put her on the pill without performing an exam because she was not se*ually active. I cannot tell you how happy she was with her next period. It was like night and day!!

 

Otherwise, I think it's important to start seeing a gyn at age 18. I sort of see that as an adult thing to do. My dd19 had her first ever exam this year. They said at her age, it was okay for her to wait 2 years before her next exam.

[Sputterduck]

very true -- HPV is dangeous, but you can not speak in general terms -- esp when it comes to health -- virgins die of cancer too.

 

I have had pre-cancerous cell treated several times, and some tests could have been low level cancer -- some biospies got 3 readings and all disagreed -- I do not have any STD

 

always and never are very dangerous words. no one loves a pap -- but a pap than a funeral

 

Have you ever been tested specifically for HPV? It is my understanding that a normal pap smear and gynecological exam does not test specifically for HPV. They test for cellular changes, etc. And I don't know your history, of course, but at least 50 percent of the people in the U.S. will have HPV at some time in their lives. And most people have zero symptoms until something serious happens, like pre-cancerous changes.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Sputterduck

[UmMusa]

Could y'all help me out with the reasons a young adult, not sexually active, should see a gynecologist?

My understanding is that she should at some point (what point is that?). I'm just not sure I know the reasons why.

Honestly, I cannot see this young woman agreeing to regardless, but....

I'm with you. She doesn't need to. The only reason I can think of is to detect any type of cancer. That should be up to her to choose whether to get the exam or not. I personally waited until I *was* s$%ually active and was comfortable with that.

[momma aimee]

Have you ever been tested specifically for HPV? It is my understanding that a normal pap smear and gynecological exam does not test specifically for HPV. They test for cellular changes, etc. And I don't know your history, of course, but at least 50 percent of the people in the U.S. will have HPV at some time in their lives. And most people have zero symptoms until something serious happens, like pre-cancerous changes.

 

Yes I have been tested, more than once for HVP and I do not have it -- HVP does not cause all cancer, most = yes, but not all. I was tested 3 differnt times after abnormal paps and many precdures regarding pre-cancours cells and so on ....

 

again virgins die of cancer too -- not all femal cancer is related to an STD and it is dangerous to think "I am not sexually active, i don't need GYN care"

[Sputterduck]

Yes I have been tested, more than once for HVP and I do not have it -- HVP does not cause all cancer, most = yes, but not all. I was tested 3 differnt times after abnormal paps and many precdures regarding pre-cancours cells and so on ....

 

again virgins die of cancer too -- not all femal cancer is related to an STD and it is dangerous to think "I am not sexually active, i don't need GYN care"

 

 

Did you see my post upthread?

 

""Persistent HPV infections are now recognized as the cause of essentially all cervical cancers, as well as most cases of anal cancer."

 

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/HPV#"

 

You could be an exceedingly rare case, indeed. However, even if they can't find an active infection right now, that does not mean you never had one. Most people have rid themselves of the infection by the two year mark. It is possible that cellular changes could have occurred by then, only to have spread large enough to be detected years later. That would certainly be more common than nonHPV cervical cellular changes. So, no current active infection doesn't mean you never had one. Then again, you and your husband may have both been total virgins (as is zero forms of sex previously, not just intercourse) when you got married and you truly are an extremely rare case. Bad luck of the draw there. :( For most people, though, that's not the case. Most people will have had HPV. It's more common to get it that to not.

[Bluegoat]

Did you see my post upthread?

 

""Persistent HPV infections are now recognized as the cause of essentially all cervical cancers, as well as most cases of anal cancer."

 

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/HPV#"

 

You could be an exceedingly rare case, indeed. However, even if they can't find an active infection right now, that does not mean you never had one. Most people have rid themselves of the infection by the two year mark. It is possible that cellular changes could have occurred by then, only to have spread large enough to be detected years later. That would certainly be more common than nonHPV cervical cellular changes. So, no current active infection doesn't mean you never had one. Then again, you and your husband may have both been total virgins (as is zero forms of sex previously, not just intercourse) when you got married and you truly are an extremely rare case. Bad luck of the draw there. :( For most people, though, that's not the case. Most people will have had HPV. It's more common to get it that to not.

 

yeah, it's pretty much endemic. If an individual or his/her sexual partner has ever had another partner, there is a god chance that there could have been an exposure to HPV, even if the body successfully got rid of it.

[Ottakee]

Interesting on your sister as I have a 16 year old that would be in the same situation. It would be very traumatic for her to have the exam. If it ever becomes needed, we would have our NP do it unless something came up that indicated she needed higher level care.

[Scarymelon]

The ACOG guidelines for pap smears are 3 years after being sexually active or at 21. I wouldn't take my daughters in for a actual pelvic exam vs. their routine annual exam until they met the above criteria, or if they had some kind of problem. I think any female should follow up on a breast mass or pelvic pain quickly, whether they were having sex or not.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

it's always good to get "in" with a dr and going while healthy will help set a "baseline" for later visits I think....I first went when I was 18 and wanted to get on BC because of heavy/painful periods....my gyn was the one who first noticed my high blood pressure and sent me to another dr for evaluation of it.....They also do pap smears--and yes it's good to have a routine breast exam each year......

[LostSurprise]

I would recommend an exam at 18.

 

I had 2 friends in college, neither of whom had ever been sexually active, who developed problems. One had polyps. One of the polyps burst and she had to go to the emergency room. A GYN would have noticed it earlier. The other had her first Pap smear come back negative. She was 20. She was lucky and it was still early.

[Tigger]

For HPV transmission, skin-to-skin contact is needed, but penetration isn't necessary. So, someone who is a virgin, yet doing other things, can get HPV.

 

Also, lates teens may not know if they have something like PCO, especially if they are asymptomatic - learning that diagnosis early can save years of frustration with many of the fertility issues associated with the condition.

 

Lastly, there are a number of young women walking around with some interesting birth defects that are not obvious - a septum(s) in the uterus, two uteri, two vaginas, a malformed cervix, and even absence of a uterus to name a few. It's often at the first exam, as a teenager, that such problems are uncovered and can be resolved - again, saving years of frustration in the future when they get married and want to have children (except for absence of a uterus). There is often no family history of these types of things, although sometimes there is.

[Ottakee]

Seeing a GYN back in my teens might have helped with my fertility issues. I had symptoms but with no insurance back there you just dealt with them and/or ignored them and went on. I don't think that young girls need pelvic exams but there are things to be checked as they get older.

 

I did have a foster baby that had a misformed vagina with some urinary issues. Treating that younger will help her in the future.

[Pamela H in Texas]

This person (age 19) hasn't held a person's hand other than to shake it, much less had any other contact. So no concern there.

 

I find it interesting to think that birth defects would be found. I started seeing a doctor at 12. I had a baby and a miscarriage by age 19 and still no one found out that I had an extreme form of uterine dydelphs. I basically have one usable half a uterus (btw, not on the same side as my only good tube). I had surgery at 19 and it was found out. I had one more baby and that was it. Additionally, no one found the PCOS, endometriosis, and a couple other issues prior to that time either.

 

I have worried about my daughter not being interested in boys in *any* way and I'm more worried as my mother and I both had children very early then could not have any more. So I guess my concern is that she'll be 30 before Mr Right comes around (if she even notices him then) and it'll be too late for her. (this isn't to say I want her running off to get married next year either though)

 

Anyway, just thought I'd ask as I had heard young women should get an exam about age 18 whether sexually active or not. There are some things that seem to make sense about it and yet I can see how waiting a couple more years may not hurt either. It'll have to be her choice at this time. I'm glad I asked and got a wide range of answers (though if all of your answers would have matched, that really would have been easier :) ).

Edited October 1, 2011 by 2J5M9K

[Puma Mom]

Interesting on your sister as I have a 16 year old that would be in the same situation. It would be very traumatic for her to have the exam. If it ever becomes needed, we would have our NP do it unless something came up that indicated she needed higher level care.

Yeah, she's pretty independent in many areas (works, drives, lives alone, cooks), but needs help with money and things like car maintenance and health care. It might be that having an exam done when she was somewhat younger (and less set in her ways?) might have been a good idea, but it didn't happen and she most definitely did NOT like the idea when it was proposed a few years ago.