When Should Women Have Their First Appointment With A Gynecologist?

Dr. Marieme Racine said teens often delay seeing a gynecologist for the first time. “That very first visit can be daunting…First of all, it's very important to let the patient know that she may not need an internal pelvic exam at this visit, because that's really one of the reasons why patients delay coming to see us.”
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends young women start seeing an OB/GYN between the ages of 13 and 15. “We want to be able to grow with them, build that relationship, that way whenever they are ready to become mothers in the later years, we have seen them, we know their history, and we can take care of them in a very personalized way,” said Dr. Racine.
Dr. Racine said the first appointment mostly focuses on the teen’s development. “Really what it is, is talking about the menstrual cycle. Are they having any issues with that on that standpoint? Are they sexually active? If so, are they using protection and using contraception?”
Her goal is to ensure her patients feel comfortable during their appointment. “We want to allow them to lead the conversation. So there is no subject that they are shy to talk about. If there is a parent in a room, we may ask the parent to step out so the patient can actually tell us all their issues that they are having.”
Dr. Racine said her biggest advice for parents is to have an open-minded conversation with their children and encourage them to be honest during their medical appointments. You can learn more by searching for women’s health on leehealth.org.
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