Though you may only visit your gynecologist a few times a year, building a good rapport with her or him is invaluable. 

Primary care providers typically won't focus on issues such as birth control, sexually-transmitted infections, bladder control, or painful intercourse. Gynecologists have become women's health specialists, and it is perfectly acceptable to discuss all these issues.

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Your First Visit to the Gynecologist
The age at which you have your first visit depends on a variety of factors. Painful, very heavy, or very erratic periods can be a reason for an adolescent to schedule an appointment. Experts recommend a first pap smear at 21 or within 3 years of the start of sexual activity. 

Women should get pap smears every year until the results come back negative three times in a row, and then every three years after that. Ideally, a patient should visit a gynecologist before she becomes sexually active so that there can be a discussion about pregnancy prevention and STD protection.

Addressing Sexually Transmitted Disease at a Young Age
Most 20-year-olds are out in the dating world and need to be aware of the scary but real statistics about sexually-transmitted infections. Viral STDs such as HPV and genital herpes are becoming more common. Many who are infected have minimal to no symptoms and no awareness that they are capable of transmitting these infections. It's never too early for a gynecologist to counsel young women that condoms are the best protection -- but also that they are far from perfect.

New Advances in Fertility Treatment
There are so many advances in fertility treatment for both men and women. Couples who wouldn't have had a chance at conceiving only a few years ago now have new options.

Doctors now perform an IVF cycle, in which eggs are retrieved from a woman's ovaries and injected with a single sperm. The dividing embryo can then be transferred back into the uterus. There are even patients undergoing IVF with donor eggs and surrogates carrying pregnancies for women who can't.

The DNA Test for Women Older than 30
The ability to test for HPV DNA isn't brand new, but the technology is finally getting mainstream attention. It is now recommended that women 30 and older be screened for the presence of high risk HPV DNA and then every 3 years thereafter. This is a more sensitive marker for the future development of true cervical pathology, including pre-cancer and cancer than the pap smear. But old habits die hard, and most patients are not ready to give up their yearly pap smear just yet.

Gynecologist Visits in Your Forties
Some of the highest unplanned pregnancy rates are for women in this age group. They are looking for birth control with less day-to-day commitment, so Intrauterine Devices are attractive options. They offer very effective, long-term, safe, and reversible birth control. One type of IUD offers the possibility of lighter and shorter periods. The news in birth control pills is a longer interval between periods, with as few as 4 periods a year or less. 

The baseline mammogram is usually done at age 40 too, unless there is a family history with a mother, sister, or daughter affected. It is repeated every one to two years through the forties and then yearly after 50. There isn't enough data to suggest that other tests, such as the breast ultrasound, perform as well for women with average risk.

When To Have Bone Health Measured
The standard way to assess bone density is with a test called a DEXA. Most preventive-care guidelines suggest a first DEXA around menopause, unless there are other risk factors for osteoporosis, and then every two years thereafter. Risk factors for osteoporosis include being female, thin, of Asian or Caucasian race, family history of osteoporosis, and smoking or excessive alcohol intake.

Special Thanks
Special thanks to Dr. Shari Brasner for sharing this wonderful information.