time for a little heart to heart with GIRLS?

Question

im 14. my mom thinks its time for me to get a pap smear.. i dont want one but she says it can prevent cancer.. which is good but the thing is our doctor is a guy and i dont want him looking and digging in there..ive never had one and i dont know what to do and i want to prevent cancer

Answer 1

nicely tell her the same. "mom, i'd be more comfortable with a lady doing that." i've ALWAYS had a woman ob/gyn and that's so cool to me. i'm 26 and i will till i'm 76. it's a good idea, but, baby, you gotta be straight with your mom and tell her - no man down there yet. she'll be cool, VERY cool, with that. btw - there's a shot coming out soon you should get to Prevent HPV, which millions of women have these days. go for it. good luck with momma.

Answer 2

if you are using birth control pills, patches or the new ring, it is a good idea to get one done every year. I went on birth control pills for hormone therapy a year before I needed them as birth control, but there is also acne as a reason that some women use birth control pills, anyway, once a year. But even if you are not sexually active, which 14 is a little early anyway, you mom might just be getting a little anxious especially if there is a history of cancer in your family, another reason I have a regular pap test as I do have a big family history of cancer. You might want to talk to your doctor and ask him if he thinks that you should start having regular paps tests or not yet, he would know best if he knows your full health history. As for your doc being a guy. Personally I had to suck it up and get over that pretty fast as I needed my first pap at your age for another reason. I have had a pap every year for 11 years now and even though my doc is a guy just think of it like this, I don't have the prettiest little vagina in the world and now that I gave birth to a over average size baby boy almost 2 years ago that certainly didn't help make it better looking. lol He has probably seen a lot worse than you might have there. Also he does this job for a living and it is just that to him, a job. It can be intimidating when you see what he uses and what he does, but if you do need to go for one, you can just ask your doctor to tell you everything he is going to do, if that helps you feel a little more relaxed.

Best of luck, and stay relaxed, it goes a lot faster that way.

Answer 3

14 is a little young for a Pap smear (unless you're sexually active, but I hope not) but as the others have said, definitely tell your mom you need to see a female OB/GYN. I feel the same way! I know women who have no problem with a man but I could never do it. I'm so glad we live in an age where women are doctors!

Answer 4

Well, you may hate what I'm about to say, but you need to get one. I remember my first and I was totally freaked about it, but then when it happened, I realized it was nothing worse that a shot.
If you're uncomfortable with the fact that your doc is a guy then just sit down with your mom and talk about seeing a female doctor. I had mine with a female doctor, and she made me feel much more comfortable, she was able to relate better than a man ever is able to.
Just remember that your mom is probably right (it sucks I know) and if you don't prevent now, you will have an even bigger mess to clean up later.

Answer 5

hey i recommend pap smears it does help prevent cancer, i would sit down with some doctors and talk to them and express your concerns and just be open with them and your mom, also pap smears can detect infections

Answer 6

Tell your mom that if you're old enough to see a gynecologist, you're old enough to CHOOSE your gynecologist. Personally, I absolutely hate the idea of seeing a male gynecologist. There are a lot of women OB/GYN's out there now, and it's much more comfortable. If you aren't comfortable with your doctor, you won't talk about any problems you're having, and that defeats the whole purpose of going to the doctor.
Still, you really SHOULD see a gynecologist regularly.

Answer 7

at that age, if you are not sexually active, it shouldnt b nessesary. If you have a family history of said problems though, it might be a good diea to start them soon, but 14 seems awefully young to start that. I heard that if you are notsexually active, you neednt really worry about getting a pap till 18.

Answer 8

It is important to get one. If you feel really uncomfortable with a male doctor, ask your mom if you can look for a female doctor.

As for the actual test, it's not as bad as you think it's going to be. It usually only takes a minute.

Answer 9

i dont think your required to have a pap smear until you are sexually active or 18. unless you are sexually active i wouldnt worry about getting one until you get a little older. when the time comes to get one, they aren't too bad, just a tiny bit uncomfortable

Answer 10

well i got a pap smear at 14 (still 14 )to be put on birth control... it doesn't really hurt... but you might have really bad cramps after its all done.