When Should You See a Gynecologist for the First Time?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that teenage girls start seeing a gynecologist between the ages of 13 and 15. If you don’t go at that time, you should make sure to visit a gynecologist, adolescent health specialist or other health professional who can take care of women’s reproductive health if:
- You have ever had sex (vaginal, oral or anal) or other intimate sexual contact.
- It has been three months or more since your last period and you haven’t gotten it again.
- You have stomach pain, fever, fluid coming from your vagina that is yellow, gray or green with a strong smell. These are all possible signs of a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease that needs immediate treatment.
- You are having problems with your period, such as a lot of pain, heavy bleeding or bleeding for longer than usual.
- You have not gotten your period by the age of 15 or within three years of when your breasts started to grow.
- You’ve had your period for two years and it’s still not regular or comes more than once a month.
- You are having sex and missed your period.
–Source: Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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