There is a young lady here at work, age 22, who told me that she had never been to the gynecologist or had a pap smear! I was floored. She is a virgin, and that is why she says she never has. Upon reading about it, it is much more likely to occur in sexually active women. Cite.
I was sexually active very young (hey! it was the seventies!) and had mine at 15. My mother started taking me, and it seemed very natural to be going to see a gyno.
Comments?
I was told I didn’t need to until I became sexually active, unless I had a problem that needed seeing to. So my first actual exam was when I was 25 – a month before I first did the deed, so I could get on the pill. I think a lot of this depends on the doctor you ask; some want you in at 18 and others say don’t worry about it until you’re having sex.
First time, I was 5 (developing WAY too early - doctors kinda freaked) - no nightmares or anything, it was handled really well.
Next, my 21st birthday… and every year since within a 5 week zone of that day. It makes it easy to remember to make an appointment. First Mammogram was last year (35) - not fun but not overly painful.
If I remember correctly I had mine at 15 as well. I was also sexually active at a young age…but it was not the seventies…lol…was more a case of…“omg he really likes me and if I don’t do this someone other girl will and then I will loose him” yah I know…VERY naive…but hey I’ve learned alot since then.
I know alot of women that have not seen a gyno until their mid twenties…more and more women ARE waiting to have sex…something I admire, altho, IMHO, I do feel with many things that can and have gone wrong simply because, we as women should be in the gynos office probably after we start menstrating, and continue with our six month check ups just to make sure everything is okay. Studies have shown that things such as cervical cancer don’t just strike women in their later years, its happening in their teens as well.
I had my first around when I became sexually active – which was about age 21.
If I had them since I started menstruating, it would be since I was 9… yeah right.
I do understand that there are some that start their cycles at an early age…I also know that it would seem stupid to start going to the gyno at that age, BUT, it was only my opinion, nothing more.
My daughter is only 13 and started going to the gyno at 10(of course for another reason but goes none the less) and im acutally glad that I take her. We were able to find something early and get it taken care of before it bacame a bigger problem.
I had my first at 19, right after becoming sexually active. Planned Parenthood required it to get birth control.
My mom’s a nurse, and never expressed any concern while I was in high school about going to get one. (and this from the woman who gave me condoms in my Xmas stocking one year - so the subject wouldn’t have been taboo!)
I was…20, I guess. If I wasn’t sexually active and I wasn’t having any problems (I was having a lot of period problems that were scaring the snot out of me), I probably would have put it off a few years. I had no family history of any sort of reproductive cancers and I had zero chance of being exposed to any of the external risk factors, so why bother just yet?
scout1222 my FATHER gave me condoms once for x-mas!! lol…he decided that if I was going to be active I was going to be safe. I was so embarrassed tho, when I opened that particular gift, the room was full of family and friends, and my then BF was sitting right next to me. While he grinned from ear to ear at my embarrassing gift, I wanted to slide under a rock. It was then they EVERYONE knew I was now having sex.
After that I was dubbed the blacksheep among the grandkids…lol
I was about 16 when I first went. I was also having sex.
I think between 16 and 18 is a good time to start going whether sexually active or not. I’ve known so many girls with either highly irregular heavy periods or ovarian cysts. Just because you’re not having sex doesn’t mean that things don’t go wrong.
15–because they wouldn’t give me the pills without doing the smear.
I had my first Papwhen I was 15, when I first went on the Pill. I wasn’t sexually active yet, but I had irregular periods, so he wanted to put me on the Pill to even them out.
I was sexually active at a young age and I, for one, most definitely blame it upon the Pabst Beer.
What’s that? Oh, pap smear …
[Emily Latella]
Nevermiiiind …
[/Emily Latella]
I had my first pap smear at age 8. I was having very bad pains in my lower abdomen and they thought it was my ovaries. Luckily (i guess) I was very sick and don’t remember it. My mother was afraid I would be scared for life.
My second pap smear was done when I was 16 and got on birth control.
I was also 15 when I had my first pap smear. It had to be done before I got on the pill.
“my FATHER gave me condoms once for x-mas!”
Jeez, whatever happened to Santa socks or a really boring book?
This summer, age of 18. I’m not sexually active, but women my age have a pretty high risk of uterine and cervical cancer, which is why we should get a pap smear even if we’re not sexually active.
Why is it called a pap smear? We call it a cervical smear or usually just plain old smear.
Had my first at 18 in order to go on the pill. Have them as seldom as humanly possible now.
I had my first (and only) at age 14 - in the emergency room at 2 in the morning. I’d gone in thinking I had appendicitis, it was ruled out and they wanted to check for… something? can’t remember right now. I want to say stones or cysts? Not particularly important at the moment. But went ahead and did a full exam.
All I know is, I was scared to death. I’d already been hit on by the creepy male nurse who gave me the gown and urine test. (Oh! and basically told I was probably lying when I said I was a virgin! Needless to say we made a big complaint later.)
The actual exam wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but still not something I’m looking forward to doing again - and (since I’m not sexually active and no family history) won’t need to for a few more years, I hope.
um, sometime soon, I promise.
Hey, I’m only 38!
I know, I know, I get nagged by doctors, friends, lovers and if my psychic powers are right, soon by a bunch of folks on the SDMB.