Addressing teen reproductive health when patients reach puberty is a good time to transition to a gynecologist
Dr. Patricia Huguelet contributed to a MedScape article on teen reproductive health and helping teens switch from pediatric to gynecologic care. The precise timing of when adolescent patients need to start seeing a gynecologist depends on when a patient starts puberty.
Although the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines call for the initial reproductive health visit to take place between the ages of 13 and 15 years, the exact age may change depending on the specific needs of the patient.
“The importance here is addressing the reproductive health of the teen starting really at the age of 10 or 12, or once puberty starts,” Dr. Huguelet said. “In those early visits, the physician can provide ‘anticipatory guidance,’ counseling the teen on what is normal in terms of menstruation, sex, and relationships, and addressing what is not.”