okay well i got my first gyno check up this past may and im 18 and she said they dont do pap smears until ur 21 or been sexually active for 3 years. im not either so i guess i didnt get one. she did something with a cotton swab in my vagina tho. was that a pap smear or something else? also in the past few months 2 girls close to me have gotten hpv so i want to start getting pap smears........can i request that i get them even tho they dont do em? please help cuz im scared. i only have one partner tho. thanks!!!
2006-12-22 08:02:48 · 7 answers · asked by betty s 1 in Health ➔ Women's Health
That is the most bizarre GYN I've ever heard of. My very first appointment they gave me a pap smear. I was 17 and had NOT been sexually active for 3 years. Though, I guess, a pap is meant to test the cells on your cervix for abnormalities that lead to cancer, so they may take leniency from that. I had to have one to get on the pill. They did tell me a couple years ago however, that it had been agreed that if you've been monogomous for some number of years and have never had an abnormal result that you could get away with having them every 2 years, not every 12 months.
The cotton ball may have been an STD test. If you're sexually active at all they should have at least done that.
And if you ask your GYN for one, they should give it to you. Also mention the concern about HPV and they will (okay, should) discuss your concerns and risks with you.
2006-12-22 08:09:44 · answer #1 · answered by desiderio 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
According to the new guidelines of the American Cancer Society, women do not need to begin pap smears until they hit 21 or 3 years after they become sexually active. You can request a pap smear before then, however, if you are concerned about HPV, you are best off getting the HPV vaccine, to protect you from the types of HPV which lead to cervical cancer. Your gyno should have discussed this vaccine with you.
Also, just to let everyone know, the cotton swab was not necessarily a pap smear. Doctors often perform cotton swab samples to test for STDs. I worked in a women's clinic for a few years. Everything your doctor did is pretty standard.
2006-12-22 17:37:04 · answer #2 · answered by iloveeeyore 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, she did a pap smear. That's what the cotton swab thing was.
That's bull what the doctor said about pap smears. Here in NJ it is normal procedure. I had my first smear at 19 the first time I went to a Gyn.
Switch to another Gyn.
2006-12-22 16:42:50 · answer #3 · answered by Nancy 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've never heard of the age 21 rule. Maybe you should go to a different doc. If she used a cotton swab, that sounds like a pap. Hmmm. That's confusing. Again, might want to go another doc. who will do paps for gals under 21.
2006-12-22 16:07:45 · answer #4 · answered by LHA 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've been in the nursing field all of my working career sweetie,and I've never heard of that happening before! I think you need to go to another Dr. If you have a partner or not you need to get a pap smear, your a female, active or not cancer is cancer! I started mine at the age of 16 when my parents put me on birth control!
2006-12-22 16:13:16 · answer #5 · answered by dodlydink 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you need to change doctors! that is crazy.. i got my first pap at 16 and i was not active then either..
2006-12-22 16:18:09 · answer #6 · answered by iwearpink4life 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
my first pap was when i was 15, you should get a new doctor,that seems odd
2006-12-22 16:16:24 · answer #7 · answered by ☺ 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋