First Pap!!! AHHHHHHHHHH?

Question

OMG....I came home from school today and my mom told me that she made an appointment for me to have my first pap and pelvic exam!! I am So SCARED!! I told her that i did not need to go yet i just turned 17 and i am not sexually active but she said that i needed to go! I am so nervous i don't want to get naked!! Please tell me some ways to help calm myself down!!

Do I really need to go right now?

What will they do?

Please Help!!

Thank you

Answer 1

oh don't be scared it is not as bad as you think!! It will be over before you know it!! It is true that you don't need a pap yet but mom is also right for trying to protect you!! Just do what she ways and you will be fine!! Just relax and do what the doctor tells you to do!! I was just as scared as you my first time and i have to go next week for my pap this is just my second time and i am still scared!! I also was not sexually active and my doctor still said that i should get one to be on the safe side!!! Plus she talked me through everything so it made it a lot easier!! Good luck and you will do fine!!

Answer 2

Do you really NEED to go? I'd say No. Should you...I'd probably say yes. (you could technically hold off a little while longer...but hey, it's never too soon) My guess is that your mother made the appointment assuming that you may possibly become sexually active in the next year or so and she wants you to be safe. It may be good to have a baseline exam before you become sexually active.
So what to expect. Well, the good news is you won't be stark naked laying on the table with your feet in the stirrups. Usually, they have you put on the gown with nothing underneath. They will then drape your lower half while they do the exam. MOST doctors will talk you through the exam, especially if they know it is your first exam. They will insert a device called a speculum which will allow them to visualize the cervix. You will feel some pressure, but it shouldn't be painful. The more relaxed you are the less uncomfortable it will be. Try not to think about the exam and think about the beach or something fun. They will then take a sample of your cells with a little q-tip thing. It may feel a little strange. the exam shouldn't take too long.
I had my first pap when I wasn't sexually active and it wasn't all that bad. A little awkward to spread your legs to a stranger...BUT on the other hand they have seen MANY people's naked bodies.
While you're there, you may want to discuss the HPV vaccine for the future...also, if you're considering becoming sexually active, you may also want to discuss birth control.
Best of luck! Stay calm, breath and it'll be over before you know it!

Answer 3

Its good that your mother is concerned about your health, but if you are not sexually active and never have been, guidelines suggest that you do not need a pap smear until you're 21 years old. However, it never hurts to have one earlier so that you can get used to it and feel more comfortable for future exams.
As far as the procedure itself, you will lie on a table with your knees up and bent and your feet in stirrups (rests). Your doctor will use a small metal or plastic instrument called a speculum to open your vagina so that the walls of the vagina and cervix can be seen clearly. A sample of mucus and cells will be taken from your cervix (the part of the uterus that extends into the vagina) and endocervix (the opening of the cervix) using a wooden scraper or a small cervical brush or broom. The doctor will twirl it around to get a sample of the cells from inside your cervix. A second sample will also be taken, called the ectocervical sample. These cells are collected from a scraping of the area around your cervical os.
After that, the doctor will insert two fingers of one hand inside your vaginal canal and will feel your ovaries and uterus with the other hand on top of your abdomen.
Pap smears are not painful, and most women don't feel any discomfort at all or feel some pressure or mild discomfort.
Just relax, close your eyes, focus on something else, and it will be over before you know it.

Answer 4

It's not fun, but it's not that bad. A good doctor can do a routine pelvic exam in about three minutes. Here is how the exam will go:

1. You will take your clothes off and put on the gown.
2. The doctor will have you put your feet in the stirrups and tell you to scoot your butt up close to her face.
3. You will scoot your butt up close to her face and tell yourself that you will never speak to your mother again.
4. The doctor will put the speculum in your vagina and then open them, which will open your vaginal canal so she can see inside. She'll turn a light towards your vagina and look inside. The speculum is does not hurt, but it is a little uncomfortable and feels like a small pressure.
5. She will take a long Q-tip and insert it in your vagina and touch it to your cervix. Then she will scrape the Q-tip onto a slide and give it to the nurse. This doesn't hurt either, and you probably won't feel the Q-tip at all. It's is very gentle and very quick. This is to make sure that there isn't any bacteria growing inside you.
6. Then the doctor will remove the speculums, which doesn't hurt either and hardly feels like anything.
7. The doctor will put some clear gel on her gloved finger and insert it into your vagina, and with her other hand she will press down on your ovaries to feel if they have cysts on them and to make sure they are the normal size.
8. Then she will be done.
9. Then you can tell your mother you are never speaking to her again.

Like I said, if you don't complain and you just lie there quietly, this should take three minutes. I swear my doctor does it in two. Then make your mom take you shopping. After a couple times, having a pelvic exam won't bother you anymore. If you're not sexually active, you probably won't need another one for two or three years, which is the good news.

Answer 5

You need to take care of yourself and it is a good idea to go regardless of your sex lif or lack of one.

If you don't feel comfortable going to a male doctor, then go to a female doctor......or old dr/ go to a young dr. You need to figure out what would make you feel "comfortable" in this situation.

Did your mom explain what is going to happen at the doctor? I always find if I know what is going to happen it is easier b/c otherwise I make it worse than it is in my head.

If your mom didn't tell you what's going to happen- then here is what my doc usually does. The nurse usually weighs you and takes your blood pressure. They ask when you last period was. Then the Doctor comes in and will give you a breast exam and remind you that you should check yourself regularly in the shower- stuff like that. They may ask some questions but you have to remember that they have heard and see it ALL before. Regarding the actual PAP, you will have to scoot down on the table and put your knees up or put your legs in the stirrups (wear socks). They use a speculum to open things up a little (it is sometime a bit cold) and they basically swab you with a big q-tip. The whole thing takes maybe 5 minutes.......waiting for the dr to come into the room will be the longest part....and the PAP will be over before you know it.

Just try to relax, don't be scared. I know it is weird the first time but it will get easier with time and as you become more comfortable with your body.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

You do not need a pap test until age 21 or three years after first vaginal sexual intercourse. Your mother is wrong. You can refuse the exam--without your consent, it could be considered assault.

If you don't want to do it, don't. Just refuse. Your mother can't make you. Presumably you are too big for your mother to physically pick you up and put you in the car to take you to the appointment. If you are at the doctor's office, they can't MAKE you undress or get on the table.

Answer 7

you dont need an actual pap if you are only 17 and have never had sex. however, keep the appointment anyway. the doctor will know you dont need the pap smear. use this time to talk to the doctor-alone without your mom so you can be fully honest- about your periods and preventing std's and how to wash and care for the vagina. so many girls get vaginal irritation and infections cause they dont know how to properly care for the vagina. they can do a general exam of the outside genitalia-it is not painful, they dont need to look inside if you have never had sex. also, ask about the hpv vaccine and get that now, before you start having sex. use this as an opportunity to learn about your body and you wont be disappointed.

Answer 8

I have an amazing obgyn I can talk to him about anything, and he takes time to listen he is a great doctor, hopefully your doctor will be the same. It is important to go so the doctor can make sure all your women parts developed correctly the reason for your pap isnt necessarily always for stds the doctor also checks to make sure your cervix and uterus developed normally and the cells are normal. Wear socks so your feet do not get cold and its not bad I promise.

Answer 9

honestly i have no idea wat a pap is but i can tell u one thing you just need to calm down and take deep breathes. when you get there ask if you can get a female nurse if that will make you feel better. i remember my first physical when i was 14. i had a male doctor and he had to check to see if my balls where growing right. it was the most disgusting thing ever but i got a female nurse a couple weeks ago and now i feel a bit more relaxed.


if you need any more help or just want to talk email me
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just relax

Answer 10

I really don't see why you have to go. It's okay to go, but if you aren't sexually active then I see no reason unless she wants to prevent you from getting cervical cancer.

What they will basically do is take a sample from your cervix, using a metal bar. It will hurt, and I've heard it stings a lot if you're a virgin and don't use tampons. My mom told me they take a small sample of the skin, but I am hoping she was meaning for older women. My parents wanted me to get a cervical cancer test too, but I am too young and only 18! And I haven't had sex at all, and I've never used tampons. It's so scary!

They won't make you get completely naked. Just your lower-half. I don't think you need to go, though. Unless cervical cancer runs in your family. Then I'd get it checked out.

Try to convince your mom that you're scared and don't feel ready. I'm sure there are other ways for them to check without hurting or harming you.

Good luck, and I hope this helps.