21 Reasons to see a Gynaecologist before age 21

There are at least 21 reasons for a woman to see her Gynaecologist before she turns 21.

Health

1. Keeping a healthy weight and taking care of your body.

2. Start good habits for healthy bones.

3. Learn when you have a bladder infection and learning what to do to treat it and to avoid relapses.

4. Learn why you have itchiness or discharge or foul odour, so that you can treat it immediately and accurately.

Menstrual cycles

5. Learn if your menstrual cycles are normal.

6. Learn why you have menstrual pain and learning how to treat it.

7. Find out why your periods are heavy.

8. Find out why your periods occur too frequently or late, or if you notice abnormal bleeding in between cycles.

9. Learn which drug or herbal medications to treat premenstrual syndome are effective and safe.

Sexual health and relationships

10. How to keep a safe and healthy sexual relationship with your partner.

11. Know when a relationship is threatening or harmful.

12. To talk about Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender sexual health.

13. Think things through before you have sex for the first time.

14. Learn how to engage in safe sexual activity.

Pregnancy

15. Learn about birth control so you can choose to become pregnancy when the time is right for you.

16. To prepare for a pregnancy that is safe and healthy both for you and for your baby.

17. Get tested for pregnancy.

18. Know which options you have if you have just discovered you are pregnant.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

19. To learn how to effectively protect yourself from STIs, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and how to reduce the risk of getting these infections.

20. To learn about the vaccine against Papillomavirus (HPV).

21. To get tested for STIs, HIV, Hepatits B and C.