[summer16]

Well, like all other posts I've had, I will go over my problems in case you haven't seen my other 3.

I have been having irregular periods since I was in 7th grade. I am a sophomore in high school now, but my periods don't stop at irregular. They go on and on for months at a time, typically with a heavy flow. And then sometimes I will stop for a week, or go lighter for a week, then start back again. Then I may stop and not have another period for 3 months. Then I'll start back at my period for months on end (I am on month 4 as of now).

Well, I talked to my mum, and thankfully she understood and made an appointment with our gynecologist. I have never been before.
I just have a few concerns. The receptionist, or whomever answers the phone when you call to make an appointment, said that she didn't know if I would have to have a pap smear or anything like that. She wasn't sure.

So my mum thinks I will have to have one, which I don't really care if I do or not, because I just want my period to stop, but I didn't think you could have one done on your period unless it is super light since the blood cells before the cervix cells can cause the results to not come back completley true. So will they NOT do a pap smear this time, or is there a possibility she will?

A little information I have, though, is that my gynecologist is a woman, who is from a different country(no racism intended, just information) who also delievered me. So that tells you she has been in business a while.

A few other questions I have are below:

[1] Does a gynecologist REALLY care if you shave or not? Will she even really notice?

[2] What are the questions the gynecologist will ask me? Actual questions here, please.

[3] Will she ask me about my sexual history? If so, what kind of questions will she ask me(examples, please) and if I say I have done something, will she automatically tell my mum?

[4] Is birth control the only solution to my problem at this point in my life? What will she most likely do to help? What are all the possible solutions to my problem other than birth control?

[5] If she decides to put me on low-dose birth control, will she automatically choose the kind or do I get to choose the kind myself/mum(Yaz, Yasmin, etc.)?

[6] What is the difference between low-dose birth control and 'normal'-dose birth control?

[7] Just out of curiousity(I'm not going to be testing this theory, anyways) does low-dose mean if I was sexually active without condoms, there would be a higher chance of me getting pregnant more so than if I was taking normal dose?

[8] If I tell her my period has caused me to break out into moderate acne more than what I typically have, like mild acne, will she put me on a birth control that will help with acne? Will she, if I ask her to?

Please reply quickly. I would like some good answers now, but my appointment isn't until the 21st of this month(December).

And answer if you read this please! Even if you can just answer one part of my question, that is fine. I would just like some feedback quickly.


Sorry this was sooooo long.

[Stina]

Well, I'm not a doctor, but I have had about 10 gyno visits this year alone due to my own problems, so I'll try to offer some help.

1. The gyno does not care if you've shaved. They see more vaginas in one day than you can probably imagine. Shaved, trimmed, bushy.. they don't care.

2. The questions will generally be focused around why you're there. If you're there for a specific problem, they'll want to find out as much as they can, like the date of your last period, how long the problem has been going on, any symptoms you may have, details about your periods - heavy, painful, etc.

3. I've been asked if I was sexually active and the last date of intercourse, but not at every visit. I do not know if the doctor would be required to tell you mom or not. I would think that unless the doctor suspected anything like abuse or rape and your mom wasn't in the room, she wouldn't have a need to say anything. Again, I have no real answer for this though. Those were just my thoughts.

4. Not really sure on this one either. I know from a few close friends that they've had irregular periods ever since puberty and we're all in our mid to late twenties now. A variety of things can contribute to irregular periods - stress, excessive exercise which contributes to low body fat (as with athletes), hormone imbalance, etc.

5. She will probably choose the kind that she feels will best suit your body and current situation. However, I was able to ask for Yaz and my doctor agreed to let me give it a shot. This was after I let him know of my previous negative experience with a few other brands.

6. Low dose pills, like Yaz, are sometimes marketed as having lesser side effects. From what I've read, dosages were much higher decades ago due to the fact that doctors weren't really sure the exact levels of hormones needed to prevent pregnancy. Definitely do some Google research on this though.

7. Low does is just as effective as long as you're responsible about taking it - not skipping pills and taking it at the same time every day.

8. I'm sure she would. I remember quite a few friends in junior high and high school, who were not even sexually active, taking it for acne alone.

I hope I was at least of some help. Try not to fret. Your problem is certainly not an uncommon one. Good luck and let me know how things go!

[pinkdynamite]

Hey sweetie, I'm glad to hear that your mom understood your concerns. I'm a nurse so I'll try to answer your questions with what I know first-hand.

First off, I'd say there's a strong possibility that your doctor will do a pap smear. It's nothing to worry about though. It can be a little uncomfortable at first, but the important thing is to RELAX. Take deep breaths and if you're scared, don't hesitate to ask her questions to make it a bit less strange.

As for your other questions, here's what I know:

1) Gynecologists aren't concerned with what you have "down there." As Stina already said, they spend all day looking at vaginas so they've seen it all.

2) Again, Stina answered this really well. They'll focus on the general problems that brought you there. Don't be afraid to tell her everything, she needs all the details to help you.

3) She will most likely ask you if you're sexually active, including oral and anal sex. If yes, then she will ask you how many partners you've had, your last date of intercourse, and if you use protection (condoms, etc). Judging by your post, I'm assuming you're 15/16 years old? At that age, unless they suspect rape or abuse, the doctor has no reason to say anything about your sexual history to your mom without your permission. Client-patient confidentiality.

4) This one is hard to say. If applicable she may suggest lifestyle-modifying behaviours (change in diet, exercise, etc) but going on oral contraceptives is often the best choice if it's caused by your hormones.

5) The doctor will most likely chose your first type for you, based on your symptoms and how they feel it will react with your body. If you/your mom have any concerns don't be afraid to discuss them with your doc. Don't be surprised or worried either if she ends up having you try a few different types of pills either. It often takes several tries before you find a type that is a perfect fit with your body. For me it took about 5 or 6 different types before my doctor and I finally found one that fit right.

6) The amount of dosing is basically just based on how well your body reacts to different concentrations of the hormones in the pill. Some people react well to a low-dose, while others need a higher dose to reach the maximum benefits. For me, a low dose did absolutely nothing whereas when I got on a high-dose pill it worked almost instantaneously. Again, don't be worried if you have to try out a few different pills... doctors always want you to have the best result possible, even if it takes a while to find the solution.

7) Again, as Stina says, they have the same efficacy and failure rates, provided you take them consistently.

8) If acne is a concern, definitely tell your doctor. She can take this into consideration when choosing a brand of birth control. There are lots of girls who are on the pill for acne alone, and most brands do provide at least minimal relief.

I hope this was a little bit of a help for you. Just don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have, and if you want to (and feel comfortable with it), you may want to have your mom in the room with you during the appointment, or even just while you're discussing with the doctor whether or not birth control would be right for you. This might be helpful since you mentioned in your previous thread that your mom experiences a similar situation, but again it's totally up to you.

I wish you all the best, and feel free to post more questions if you have any. Let me know how it turns out!