Adolescence

When should a teen have their first OBGYN appointment?

You should schedule your first OBGYN appointment if:

• you have questions about the changes your body is going through
• you have periods that seem unusual
• your periods are getting in the way of your daily life
• you no longer feel comfortable with your pediatrician
• you want to learn about birth control options
• you've become sexually active
• or you are moving away after graduating high school and need to find a new medical provider.

Most girls start their periods when they're about 12, but they can start as early as 8, so it's important to talk to girls from an early age to make sure they're prepared. When girls start their periods, it's a sign that their body is now able to have a baby. It's important that they also know about getting pregnant and contraception. At Moran & Haag-Rickert, we feel it's important to educate our young patients.

Your 1st Annual Gynecological Exam

During the first OBGYN appointment, we’ll talk about:

• Personal health history
• Family health history
• Menstrual cycles: how often they occur, what the bleeding is like, whether you have cramps. We can help if your periods are interfering with your daily life.
• Diet and exercise: Adolescence is an important time to develop healthy eating and exercise habits, as well as a healthy body image.
• Sexual activity: Everything you tell us is confidential. It’s important that you are honest about any sexual activity so that you can be given the appropriate STI testing and birth control options.

During the first OBGYN exam we will cover:

• Height and weight measurements
• Blood pressure
• Pulse and respiration
• Heart and lungs
• External genital exam
• Breast exam
• Pelvic exam to check the vagina, cervix, uterus, and ovaries. A speculum would be used to complete this portion of the exam.
• STI (sexually transmitted infection) screening: this can be done with a urine test or a vaginal test (swab).