Sexual Health Requirements by the Ages

I didn’t visit the gynecologist until I started having sex in my early 20s. I had always assumed there was no need to visit the gynecologist unless I was sexually active. To my surprise, my assumption was wrong. According toThe American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), girls should make their first visit to this specialist between the ages of 13 and 15.

During this visit, the doctor will ask a series of questions concerning the teen’s physical health, sexual history (if applicable), and family history. Usually, the doctor doesn't need to do a pelvic exam at this first visit unless you are experiencing problematic symptoms. If the teen is sexually active, a pelvic exam and an STD test may be performed. In some states, it’s legal for a teen to seek treatment on her own; in others, a guardian must be notified.

Twenty-one years old is the magic number to begin this screening. A Pap test (also known as a Pap smear) is a test that looks for abnormalities in the cervical cells, which may indicate cervical cancer. Women aged 21-29 should have this test every three years,ACOG says. Women 30-65 should have the test, along with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV), every five years, although it is acceptable to just have the Pap test alone every three years.

在宫颈癌筛查,您将收到a Pap test. This is a quick procedure in which you'll lie on an exam table and your doctor will use a speculum to open your vagina and get a clear view of the cervix. They will use a brush to take a sample of cells from the cervix and send them off to be tested for abnormalites. This procedure shouldn't hurt, but it may be a bit uncomfortable.

If needed, a young woman can start taking oral birth control as soon as she starts her period, which isaround age 12. Birth control pills are not just for people who are sexually active.This type of contraceptivecan be given to a girl for issues regarding irregular or painful periods, to help treat acne, to assist with issues related topolycystic ovary syndrome, and much more.

There are a variety of medical birth control options to choose from. But as with any of these options there will be risk associated with them. Depending on what state teens live in, they may be able to receive birth control without parental consent. According to theGuttmacher Institute, “21 states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow all minors to consent to contraceptive services.”

The HPV vaccine is a vaccine that helps protect people from strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer and warts. In 2008, it was onlyapprovedfor girls, but a year later it was also approved for boys.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)recommends children ages 11-12 receive the vaccine.

The CDC statesthat HPV vaccines are given as a series of three shots over 6 months. It’s important to know that the cutoff age for receiving the vaccine is 26.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) states thatone out of seven menwill end up with prostate cancer in his lifetime. But when should one start to be tested? African-American men are at a higher risk forprostate cancerand should begin exams start around 40 years old; for all other men, 50 is the recommended age.

For a lot of men, screenings for prostate cancer can be a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing.The ACSstates the most common types of prostate cancer screenings include a digital rectal exam and a blood test. For the blood test, the doctor will draw blood and test for prostate-specific antigens that indicate cancer. The rectal exam requires the doctor feel for lumps and bumps within the anus.

Breast cancer runs in my family, therefore a doctor recommended I receive a mammogram now, in my late 20s. This procedure tests women for breast cancer. Generally speaking, though, the ACS suggests a woman should have this test done at least once a year starting at age 40, and every two years after she turns 55.

A mammogram is a low-energy X-ray of the breastto determine abnormalities such as lumps that could be potentially life-threatening. For the test, a mammogram technician places a woman’s breast between the two plates of the mammography machine, which then squeeze together so X-rays of the inside the breast can be captured. It is required that a woman not usedeodorantbefore her exam.