pap-smear

[Liquid Dream]

I'm 18 and sexually active, I've only been with two people once when I was 15, and my boyfriend I've had for two years, I've used protection and all and I've never had any problems, but I was curious if I need a pap-smear, my mom wants me to get one but I'm not sure if I can even afford one? How much do they cost? I can't even afford medical insurance

[CarnelianButterfly]

As soon as you have sex you should have a pap every year.

[dazedandconfusedbydestiny]

pap smears are something you will face for the rest of your life. Especially if you have ovarian cancer in your family. A female healthy or otherwise should have one on a regular basis just to make sure theres no cancer cells etc.

[coollady1957]

From what I have been told , you should have a pap smear if you have been sexually active and for sure if you are age 18 now. It never hurts to be safe and assured that everything is okay.

 

Are you not still covered under your parents insurance. I was thinking that if you are still a student, even if in college, your parents insurance should cover you.

 

It maybe be possible to go to a health dept or a womens clinic and get it done and might not be as expensive as if done at at regular doctors office or at the ob-gyn.

 

I really think it would be a good idea for you to get this done. It could only take one time of sexual contact for something to be passed on to you.

[southerngirl]

Call your county heath department. You can get one there for free or very low cost. Like was said before, once you have sex you should start getting them. You can also get free birth control from your local health department.

[Tigris]

You need to have one done regularly because that's the only way the doctors can tell if there's irregular cells and can deal with them.

 

When cancer of the cervix is diagnosed it's too late for it to be treated (well at least that was the case when my aunt was diagnosed maybe things have progressed now?)

[dazedandconfusedbydestiny]

sad thing about cervical cancer is, its a std.

[Liquid Dream]

I'm not a student, and I'm not under my mom's insurance because she doesn't even have it,

nobody in my family had any cervical cancers, I don't care about birth control I don't trust it!

I don't mind getting a pap-smear but I don't know if I can afford one.

So nobody here has a price range??

[mmmending]

For many reasons, the pap smear is important to women who smoke, who started using the pill prior to age 18, who have had unprotected sex at any time, who consume more than two alcoholic drinks per day.

 

A pap smear can also detect an STI, emergent as a health concern in women, called HPV (Human Papillomavirus). One strain of which can lead to genital warts.

 

It is also a very prevalent virus, having many variant strains. HPV is transmissible through vaginal or anal intercourse. Apparently, "no protective effect has been associated with condom use." (See link - Sarah Giles, author - cmaj.ca). Oral sex is a low risk activity for this.

 

HPV can, in some cases, cause what are called irregular epithelial cell formations on the cervix. This can lead to a condition called cervical dysplasia. CD can be a precancerous condition. It can also spontaneously go away.

 

There is no screening test for men to detect HPV.

 

This is not something to worry about, per se, but it is something to be informed about.

 

Internet Resources:

 

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[Tigris]

If you want to know how much it costs why don't you ring the doctors/clinic?

[monkey1]

You can go to Planned Parenthood and you can get a pap smear I'm sure for free or a low cost. There are a lot of free clinics around the country and you should do a search online for your county or city.

 

As for your comment, "I don't care about birth control I don't trust it!", I think if you're going to continue to have sex, you're putting yourself at risk for getting pregnant. I think I'd trust birth control more than my partner's sperm ;-)

 

Either way, you need to get yourself checked out and take care of your body and you can have all the sex you want, but you should take the proper procautions to keep yourself healthy, clean, and baby free.