26 and never been to the gyno and still don't want to go?!
Question: I've been married for 6 mon. & am on the pill. My husband & I were both virgins when we got married. I've never been to the gyno for a # of reasons. I've moved a lot (almost every 3 mon., usually due to school) & have never had a regular Dr. I haven't had insurance since I turned 23 (when I could no longer be a dependant on my step-dad's military insurance). I've always been healthy & take care of myself. I've never had anything irregular physically or with my period or "down there" & I am aware of any changes in my body. There is no hist. of cancer, etc. in my family. I would really (really) rather die than go to the gyno & have some stranger look at me there. I now live in Austria (my husband is Austrian), so the doctor wouldn't even be speaking English (I speak German). I am planning on waiting until I am pregnant (maybe in 3-5 years) or after I give birth, when I will hopefully feel more comfortable. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Do u think it'll be ok to wait?
Answers: I've been married for 6 mon. & am on the pill. My husband & I were both virgins when we got married. I've never been to the gyno for a # of reasons. I've moved a lot (almost every 3 mon., usually due to school) & have never had a regular Dr. I haven't had insurance since I turned 23 (when I could no longer be a dependant on my step-dad's military insurance). I've always been healthy & take care of myself. I've never had anything irregular physically or with my period or "down there" & I am aware of any changes in my body. There is no hist. of cancer, etc. in my family. I would really (really) rather die than go to the gyno & have some stranger look at me there. I now live in Austria (my husband is Austrian), so the doctor wouldn't even be speaking English (I speak German). I am planning on waiting until I am pregnant (maybe in 3-5 years) or after I give birth, when I will hopefully feel more comfortable. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Do u think it'll be ok to wait?
Not necessarily.
If you're on the pill, you've hopefully seen your family doc recently. Hopefully he will include a breast exam in his full annual checkup (which you do, right?). Talk to your doc about it, and he/she may tell you you don't need a pap (the vaginal cell test that everyone dreads). Your family doc can do this test, so there's no need to go to a gynecologist for routine checkups if you have a good family doctor.
You can't get HPV (human papilloma virus, the only known cause of cervical cancer) from anyone but a sexual partner, so if you're willing to stake your life on your husband's honesty, then you may not need a pap.
That being said, monogamy doesn't cut it if you've had previous sexual partners. HPV usually has no symptoms, so you or your partner can have it for years without knowing.
Your fear worries me, you should feel comfortable going to your doctor if you do develop any problems "down there". Develop a good relationship with your family doctor, so that you feel you can ask him/her anything. Believe me, he/she has already heard much more embarrassing things in the past day!
Simply put, and I don't want to be harsh: but no, I don't think it's ok to wait.
I think you should have been going since you were 18. There are a variety of reasons, the biggest of which being to make sure that you are healthy (and capable of getting pregnant when you want to) the next being early detection of cervical cancer.
At the end of the day, it's your life and body and you can do what you want. But the truth is that after that first scary visit is over, it officially becomes no big deal. You can do it...it'll make it going when you're pregnant so much easier if you've been before under less extreme circumstances. Just think, some 13 year old girls go to the gyno! A grown woman such as yourself can handle it.
Good luck.
okay your list of excuses can go on and on... it doesn't matter if you were a virgin when you got married or not. You should go see the gyno after being sexually active. Even if you know there are no STD possibilities that is NOT the only thing they check. They do a breast exam, checking for lumps, and they also scrape your cervix for cells that could be cancerous or precancerous (neither which is necessarily related to sex OR FAMILY HISTORY). You should have gone at the age of 18! And dont think of it as "some stranger". They are PROFESSIONALS!! I used to feel that way about getting brazilian bikini waxes but you just get over it. I go to a woman for both my wax and my gynecologist, and they are women also, remind yourself that. They are not looking at you or judging you or anything! they are doing their job!
And about the getting pregnant thing? you better be comfortable with someone looking and touching you way BEFORE that, because you'll have to get used to it real quick when you become pregnant and give birth.
You are 26 years old! you are an adult and you need to take responsibility! hey, i guess i dont care, but I'm just telling you, it's better for yourself if you do it.
Ideally, you should go to the gynecologist at age 13, or even before that if you experience anything out of the ordinary. If you don't have it at 13 though, you pretty much NEED to see the gynecologist as soon as you become sexually active. You are, so you need to see the gynecologist. I know it's awkward for you, but just remember; this is their job. They see hundreds of them every single day. This is just another routine for them. So even if you feel awkward, you should know that they don't think it's awkward or weird at all. Just another day at work!
Just for health reasons, I don't think it would be smart to wait much longer. Now that you're sexually active and have been for several months you're now at a higher risk for bacterial infections, things that you can't detect yourself (like a yeast infection) could be going on and you just won't know until you see a professional. I know it's weird and very awkward (I felt the same way, my first time was incredibly tense and strange..)
I would go soon, dear. Good luck.
I don't think anyone really enjoys going to the gyno..so your not alone. Just do it.
It's important for you to go to the gyno, especially if you're planning on having children down the road. You need to be examined to make sure there is nothing wrong with you that could hinder your ability to have children, and you need to make sure there is nothing wrong with you that can be harmful to your own health. While you don't have a family history of cancer, that doesn't eliminate your chance of developing cancer yourself. Your doctor needs to have a base reading of what your cervical cells look like, what your breasts are like, so that if you develop an abnormality they can tell more easily. Breast cancer and cervical cancer both have a high survival rate, but only if they're detected early. And you need help with that through pap smears and breast exams. Here in the US it's not hard to find doctors that speak other languages. I'm sure that if you prefer to see a doctor that speaks English, you'll be able to find one. But don't put this off any longer. It really needs to be done.
the first time i went to the gyno it was awkward i'll admit, but fact is, it has to be done to make sure everything is okay. search around and do research to find a doctor you feel you could be comfortable with. if you want kids then a pelvic exam is unavoidable. when you are in labor and delivery there is usually the doctor, his or her assistant, and two or three nurses all looking at you down there. during pregnancy it's common procedure to have a pelvic exam done about once in the first trimester, once in the second trimester, and every week in your last month. they really aren't that bad. it's a little uncomfortable but not painful. plus most places you can bring a family member with you if you are that concerned about it. i hope this helps!
If you dont want to go its your choice, dont go.