Well i have a problem..i am sexually active and my mom brings up sex and how im too young and i jus nod my head and say yep...she says tht when i do start to do anything i need to tell her so i can see a gynocologist....is it really tht necessary to go to one? i dont know if i should tell her im having sex...i dont know how she would react...also wht does a gynocologist do???? thanks -meg
a gyno will do a pap smear, which will sound really scarry, but it isn't bad once you're going through it. they check for changes in your cervix that could indicate problems, or show early stages of cervical cancer. dysplasia, for example, has no symptoms. they check for stds too, if you request them to do so. it's very important! and, what is probably most important to you right now, they prescribe birth control!! i cannot say that it would be best for you to tell your mom, as i don't know her or your relationship... but i can say that if you absolutely cannot tell your mom you're having sex, then check out the local planned parenthood. they have a sliding scale and your exam might be free. make sure the number you give them to call with your results isn't one your mom will answer or check the messages to. discuss their confidentiality, like maybe you can come in for the results, or you call them in a few weeks, etc. also, if your parents have health insurance and you use it without telling them, they will find out. they'll get a statement in the mail from the insurance co. with a name of the health care provider, and if they see 'planned parenthood' they'll know. pp will probably do the exam for anywhere from free to $15 if you're a minor, unemployed and without insurance.
Go to the gyno! They are good for you, honest. Like lawngirl said, they do a pap smear.. basically they take a small sample of your natural fluids (as far as I'm aware) and use that to test for any abnormalities. You can ask them to test for std's as well, which is always a good idea to get done (even if you've been using a condom, it's a great idea to get tested regularly) Personally, I would tell your mom that you at least want birth control pills. Whatever the reason - you're sexually active, you want to make your periods more regular, you want to lighten your periods, or you just want to be safe. If it were me.... I'd tell my mom that I was sexually active and that I wanted to be as safe as possible - get birth control pills and condoms.
^ yup, right on. when they do the pap smear, they scrape a small sample of cells from your cervix. they put a speculum inside you so they can hold your vagina open. ask them to use the small speculum, especially if it's your first time and you're nervous! you can also ask them to warm the speculum, because if they just insert it while its cold you're likely to tense up and make it harder to insert. then they take the cell sample.. it's usually done with a long q-tip looking thing, or a plastic bistle thing, etc. i know it sounds like hell, but it's not painful. i get cramps from them scraping my cervix, and i'm not trying to scare you, but if you're worried about it, take a painkiller before you go. some women get light spotting from the procedure, so you might want to bring a pantyliner. also, i personally find it painful to have sex the day or two after an exam (i dont know if this is common or not though) so you might want to schedule the appointment on a day where sex won't be your main activity right afterwards. which also reminds me... don't schedule the app't for a date you'll have you period. also, dont have sex (or insert anything in your vag) or take a bath (showers are cool though) in the 24 hours before the app't. it can mess up the results. after that, they do a 'bimanual exam.' the doc puts two fingers inside your vagina, and then presses down on your pelvis. this can be real uncomfortable, and you can request that your doctor only use one finger. they might also do a rectal exam (where they insert put two fingers in the rectum and press around), but it is NOT required! most dont do this, though some do.. so i'd advise you to ask in advance, and if you're uncomfortable with that aspect, do not allow them to do that. most doctors won't recommend a rectal exam for women under 35-40, but i figured it was worth mentioning, because you might not want to be, uh, 'taken by surprise.'
lol, the rectal exam. I've had it done once (I've had three paps), and my doc asked before hand. He only used one finger though, I think it was to make sure he hadn't felt anything wonky with the bimanual exam thinger. I haven't had any pain, spotting or discomfort with sex after a pap smear, personally. But asking the doc to warm up the speculum sounds like a really good idea! They also usually use lubrication... often a huge amount of it. So make sure you know where the kleenex's are afterwards so you can clean off the excess lube.
