Teen Pregnancy Forum - annual OB/GYN exam? PAP smear?


annual OB/GYN exam? PAP smear?

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Verizon-y

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Posted: 11-27-07 00:58am

Dannzibelle wrote:

jessamyn wrote:

Dannzibelle wrote:

never had one, i don't think is compulsive over here. I did have a check on my cervix at my first antenatal apptthough because cervical cancer runs in my family

um if youre a mom youve had one unless you are going to a spiritual doctor or something

Nope, i asked if that's what she was doing when i went and see said she was just feeling to check, i have no idea how you feel for cancer but hey i'm not a doctor! The only internals i had were that and to see if i was dilated in labour, oh and a membrane sweep

So, are you going to ask your doctor why this hasn't been done yet? (Especially since you said cervical cancer runs in your family.)

Electriceyes

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Posted: 11-27-07 19:35pm


I had my first pap when I was 15 and wanted on the pill...

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 11-28-07 10:46am

futureshock wrote:

Dannzibelle wrote:

jessamyn wrote:

Dannzibelle wrote:

never had one, i don't think is compulsive over here. I did have a check on my cervix at my first antenatal apptthough because cervical cancer runs in my family

um if youre a mom youve had one unless you are going to a spiritual doctor or something

So, are you going to ask your doctor why this hasn't been done yet? (Especially since you said cervical cancer runs in your family.)

I'm going to the doctor's tommorow for Mika's shots so i'm going to ask the nurse then

jessamyn

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Posted: 11-28-07 10:55am


do you guys go to a mom/kiddo doc? you should truly be asking a obgyn not a nurse

rosejackson

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Posted: 11-28-07 11:09am

futureshock wrote:

rosejackson wrote:

i've never had one and i dont know if or when i have to have one

Do you have an OBGYN that you see regularly?

For anyone who wants more information about PAP tests, here is a source:

http://www.cancercare.ns. ca/media/documents/Fact_sheet_Pap_Test_Rul es_Change.pdf

No i don't. No-one's even mentioned regular pap tests, even when i went on the injection after having william. the only time ive had internal examinations was when i had a urine infection and when i was in labour
i'm really curious on this subject and will mention it to my mum or the midwife when i first see her

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 11-28-07 11:34am

jessamyn wrote:

do you guys go to a mom/kiddo doc?

you should truly be asking a obgyn not a nurse

just the normal doctors, i'm just gunna see what she says about paps in the Uk and if it's because i'm in the uk that i haven't had one to see what she says and then make an appointment with the apropiate doctor

rosejackson

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Posted: 11-28-07 14:38pm


when you find out, let me know because im finding it interesting why no-ones mentioned anything yet

Verizon-y

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Posted: 11-28-07 16:03pm


Good, I'm glad you ladies in the U.K. are going to look into it. Here is info from the U.K. It looks just like the advice given in the U.S.: UK Healthcare What is a Pap test? A Pap test, named after Dr. George Papanicolaou who designed the test, is a screening test to collect and microscopically examine cells taken from the cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) located between the bladder and the rectum. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina, which leads to the outside of the body. With a Pap test, cells can be collected from the vagina as well as the cervix. Who should have Pap tests? Women should seek expert medical advice about when they should begin screening, how often they should be screened, and when they can discontinue cervical screenings, especially if they are at higher than average risk of cervical cancer due to factors such as HIV infection. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the American College of Obstetrics (ACOG), general guidelines include: * Cervical cancer screening should begin approximately three years after a woman begins having sexual intercourse, but no later than at 21 years old. * Experts recommend waiting approximately three years following the initiation of sexual activity because transient human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and cervical cell changes that are not significant are common and it takes years for a significant abnormality or cancer to develop. Cervical cancer is extremely rare in women under the age of 25. * Women should have a Pap test at least once every three years. * ACS and ACOG recommend annual cervical cytology screening with regular Pap tests or biannual (every two years) screening with liquid-based tests (Thinprep) until age 30. Women under age 30 have a higher likelihood than older women of acquiring high-risk types of HPV that cause premalignant cervical disease, which should be ruled out before extending the testing intervals. for more, click on the link above

Altari

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Posted: 11-29-07 18:32pm


I have been getting yearly pap smears since I turned 15. When I had my first pap done, it was because of a UTI. The doctor I saw was very sympathetic when I explained that I was sexually active. She insisted upon doing a pap, and billed it as an exam for the UTI. It actually WAS an exam as part of the UTI to ensure it wasn't caused by some kind of STD. However, my parents were never informed that I was having the pap due to sexual activity. You do have certain rights to medical privacy. Paps are like ALL other diagnostic tests. They give you an age when you should start - generally 18-21. However, just like they tell women with a family history of breast cancer to receive mammograms earlier in life, sexual active teens should also have a pap. They really are painless. They are quite uncomfortable, but they don't [I should say "shouldn't"] hurt. I have a friend who was saved by having her first pap early in life. She had one at 16, and they discovered pre-cancerous cervical cells. Had she waited until she was 20 to have her first pap, she probably would have died.

Verizon-y

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Posted: 11-29-07 23:41pm

*smacks self on forehead*

I didn't even think of this as a reason for not having had a pap test yet:

Quote:

The doctor I saw was very sympathetic when I explained that I was sexually active. She insisted upon doing a pap, and billed it as an exam for the UTI. It actually WAS an exam as part of the UTI to ensure it wasn't caused by some kind of STD. However, my parents were never informed that I was having the pap due to sexual activity. You do have certain rights to medical privacy.

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 12-01-07 10:23am


She just told me that it's not done at my age aparently

rosejackson

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Posted: 12-01-07 14:19pm


what age does it start at?

Verizon-y

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Posted: 12-01-07 21:10pm

Dannzibelle wrote:

She just told me that it's not done at my age aparently

Well, you know better because you've seen the links posted right here that say otherwise.

I wonder if it's an insurance thing? I bet that the insurance companies made up some random rule so they wouldn't have to pay for pap tests for younger people.

(Or, whoever in the U.K. is responsible for the medical care budget, as opposed to insurance companies in the U.S.)

Verizon-y

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Posted: 12-01-07 21:34pm


The following article is interesting to read in light of the recent discussion. Click on the link to read it. Pros and Cons of Pap Tests for Teens This was also a part of the above referenced article, which I found interesting. How do some of you feel about this: "Some teen girls practice fingering, oral and anal sex, and even group sex, with the perception that they have not had sex because they have not experienced penetration of the vagina by the penis and will not get pregnant. They may not realize that they can contract a sexually transmitted disease from these practices as well. It's also important to understand that most young girls do not find these activities pleasurable but do them as a means of keeping their boyfriends. And boys often resort to drugs or alcohol to diminish girls' inhibitions. The physician needs to ask about these and other sexual practices and tell sexually active teens that they should be careful about letting anyone invade their bodies."

Dannzibelle

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Posted: 12-02-07 16:27pm

futureshock wrote:

Dannzibelle wrote:

She just told me that it's not done at my age aparently

We have the NHS over here which is paid through taxes so not an insurance thing. I've got an appointme t with my Gp for next week for another reason so i will mention it to him while i'm there, he's very understanding and a nice person so hopefully he'll see my concerns

Verizon-y

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Posted: 12-02-07 23:21pm


Good. I hope everything works out for you.