Is your teen ready for her first well-woman visit? How to help her through it

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera Health.

Summer means making sure your teens are up to date on immunizations and ready for the upcoming school year. For parents with teen daughters, you might be wondering when it’s time for the first well-woman visit.

For many young women, that first well-woman checkup can be an awkward and confusing experience, but it’s an important milestone.

Dr. Catherine Schiltz with Avera Obstetrics and Gynecology offers suggestions to help calm nerves and help prepare your daughter for her first well-woman visit.

What exactly is a well-woman visit?

A well-woman visit is a yearly recommended exam that is comparable to the yearly recommended physical at your primary care doctor’s office. It’s a time that your daughter begins her own health journey. It’s where we take the opportunity to make sure that you are up to date on your health screenings, which for this age group may include Pap smears.

When should your teen start having well-woman visits?

• When she has questions about the changes her body is going through.
• When she has periods that seem unusual.
• When her periods are getting in the way of her daily life.
• When she no longer feels comfortable with her pediatrician.
• When she is moving away after graduating high school and needs to find a new medical provider.

What will happen at that first well-woman visit?

During the appointment your OB/GYN or family practice provider will talk to you about:

• Personal health history.
• Family health history.
• Menstrual cycles: how often they occur, what the bleeding is like, whether she has cramps. Her provider can help if her periods are interfering with daily life.
• Diet and exercise: Adolescence is an important time to develop healthy eating and exercise habits, as well as a healthy body image.
• Any changes in habits and activities.

The physical exam will cover:

• Height and weight measurements.
• Blood pressure.
• Pulse and respiration.
• Heart and lungs.
• Breast and genital exam also may be included but only if there are indicators of something that needs to be addressed. Clinical breast exams are recommended every three years starting at age 20, and Pap tests are recommended every three years starting at age 21.

How can you help calm her nerves?

The best way to start is by assuring her that it’s normal to feel nervous about a new experience, going to a new place or meeting a new person. Also, encourage her to share with her doctor or nurse that she feels nervous. Her provider is accustomed to meeting new patients and knows how to put them at ease. Remind her that just because she’s going to the doctor, it doesn’t mean she will have an invasive exam every time. Let her know that she can have someone else with her, like another nurse or a family member.

There is nothing wrong with being overprepared. Encourage her to write down questions or topics she wants to discuss with her provider, and assure her that anything she shares with her provider will be confidential.

Any other helpful tips?

The conversation can be uncomfortable, but it’s an important one. Use this opportunity to further the conversation on other important milestones in your daughter’s life. Just having the conversation will show your continued support and help establish you as a safe space and trusted supporter. Again, encourage your daughter to speak up and ask questions so she can be empowered and have ownership of her health.

Get more wellness tips at Avera.org/Balance.