The gynecologist is the doctor in charge of diagnosing, preventing, and treating all diseases related to the female reproductive system: the uterus, the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and, of course, the vagina. The pathologies that occur in these organs are the leading cause of female death, as is the case of cervical cancer. This and other diseases can be prevented or diagnosed early if a gynecological check-up is performed at least once a year. For this and many other reasons, the appointment with the gynecologist should never, but never, be left for later.
Women who have just developed, are sexually active, have menstrual disorders, who are closely watching menopause, or who are already in middle age should visit the gynecologist. In this way, they ensure that everything is going well with their reproductive organs and that no internal changes have occurred that require tests or treatment. If you are not sure how often you should visit the gynecologist, in this FastlyHealarticle, we solve your doubts.
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The first time
When adolescence is reached, the female body undergoes a process of changes, especially hormonal, that indicates that the first menstruation is approaching. If you have just developed, you should know that the arrival of the first period represents an imminent sign that it is time to visit the gynecologist for the first time to check how your organs are, examine that everything is going well, and help you in case of presenting Excruciating periods, heavy bleeding or no period for a long time after the first bleeding.
In general, the first visit to the gynecologist is to explore you and get to know you better, so it is best to offer your doctor all kinds of information that you deem appropriate and truthfully answer any question he may ask. Usually, in the first consultation, he will ask you if you have had sexual intercourse. He may perform cytology, an abdominal echo, or prescribe birth control pills depending on your answer. Generally, adolescent girls should visit a gynecologist every two years if they have not started sexually. Otherwise, they will have to do it once a year.
If you are an adult and sexually active woman
Women who have sex should visit the gynecologist more often. This doctor is present in all stages of the woman’s life. Still, when the woman is sexually active, visits should be more recurrent to examine that there has been no alteration in the genitals and to confirm that no vaginal infection has been contracted that must be treated with antibiotics.
Likewise, it is also essential to visit the gynecologist frequently to check that the reproductive organs are excellent and healthy to conceive if it were the woman’s desire. But the gynecologist is also the one who should advise you if you have problems with your contraceptive method if you want to change it, if it is causing side effects or if you have decided to stop using it.
Visiting the gynecologist regularly will also allow you to rule out whether you have been infected with any strain of HPV, as well as being able to help you diagnose, treat, and even prevent this condition. Changes in female organs can be sudden, so it is necessary for the sexually active woman to visit the gynecologist every six months.
When you decide to be a mom
If you are looking for a baby, the first thing you should do is visit a gynecologist specializing in obstetrics. This specialist will be able to tell you if your entire reproductive system is in optimal condition for pregnancy and will also be able to monitor your pregnancy from the first day you become pregnant until the day of delivery, being responsible for bringing, together with you, your baby to the world.
If you have problems getting pregnant, your trusted gynecologist could refer you to a fertility gynecologist to examine you again and verify if any hormonal or biological problem makes it difficult for you to stay on tape and offer you a range of solutions you can get pregnant at once.
If you are pregnant and wonder how often you should go to the gynecologist, you likely have to go very often. Although doctors do not consider those consultations are necessary during pregnancy, most pregnant women go to the gynecologist every month to verify that everything is going well within her and that the baby is healthy. In these consultations, it is common for the specialist to perform echoes to listen to the heartbeat, determine the sex of the fetus, know how much the future newborn weighs and how tall, and observe that it is forming correctly. You will never visit the gynecologist as much as when you are pregnant!
When you are of mature age
When the woman is close to 50 years of age, menopause approaches. Menopause means the culmination of a woman’s fertile life because the female organism biologically paralyzes the production of hormones estrogen and progesterone, causing a series of symptoms that considerably affect a woman’s quality of life. At this stage, it is essential to visit the gynecologist to tell us how we should treat ourselves and examine that everything is going well with our reproductive organs.
For a woman who is in this stage, the gynecologist can be of great help to overcome mood swings and temperature changes, as well as to advise us if unexpected bleeding occurs, if hormone therapy does not feel right, or to stop support us and tell us what to do when menstruation decides not to return. On the other hand, you must know that the risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer increases during a woman’s mature age, so visiting the gynecologist every six months is necessary to prevent and diagnose these diseases in time.
To prevent breast cancer.
The gynecologist is also in charge of examining the breasts and verifying no irregularities. From the age of 30, although in some countries they insist, on the contrary, the woman must begin an annual mammogram to prove that there has not been any cellular malformation in the breasts and to prevent breast cancer.
At present, diagnoses of this pathology are increasingly made in young women. It would be best to remember that breast cancer is reversible and can be cured as long as you have an early diagnosis. Therefore, doing a breast self-exam every month after your period goes away and having a breast echo and an annual mammogram once a year will help prevent this disease. If your gynecologist thinks otherwise, it’s time to find a new and updated one.
Alarm symptoms indicate that you should visit the gynecologist now!
- Lump in the chest or swelling under the armpits.
- Warts on the genitals.
- Itching or burning in the vagina.
- Deep pain when having sex.
- Irregular rules.
- Absence of the period.
- Very painful and abundant menses.
- Abnormal and foul-smelling discharge.
- Irregular bleeding.
- Hormonal diseases.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to How often should I visit the gynecologist, we recommend that you enter our category of Female reproductive system.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.