Anonymous wrote:A girl who is mature enough to be having intercourse is mature enough for a pelvic exam.
OP I think 14 is too young. Can’t you keep her away from unsupervised contact with their boyfriend? Until 16[/quote
Oh please this is as old as time. No OP can not watch her every minute of every day.
OP is totally doing the right thing.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Too young!
How does this help the OP?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
OP,
It's great she told you. She deserves to be commended for that.
I haven't read all the posts here, but as the mother of a teen with special needs, I disagree with the premise that a 14 year old deciding to have sexual relations is automatically mature enough to make that decision, and the consequences regarding birth control and gyn exams, and continued relations with her boyfriend. Perhaps she is! Perhaps she's a very mature and thoughtful 14 year old. I've known some kids like that. But only you can determine that. Some children, even without diagnosed special needs, are actually not mature enough at 14 to handle ALL of what sex entails. They did the deed, but can't imagine all the things that swirl around the deed, and may not be ready to handle long-term relations.
So OP, just because she had sex a few times, doesn't mean she should continue. It depends on the actual reasons why she did this (there could be many, not all sexually related), your relationship and the trust between you, what her personality is, how good she is at impulse control and delayed gratification, and saying no... so many things.
Bets of luck navigating this.
I kind of agree that 14 is very young for the emotional intensity that goes with a sexual relationship, but the genie is out of the bottle. I think the best thing to do is to be very supportive and make sure she’s staying on an even keel and maintaining a life outside of the relationship - friends, school, etc.
Anonymous wrote:Too young!
Anonymous wrote:
OP,
It's great she told you. She deserves to be commended for that.
I haven't read all the posts here, but as the mother of a teen with special needs, I disagree with the premise that a 14 year old deciding to have sexual relations is automatically mature enough to make that decision, and the consequences regarding birth control and gyn exams, and continued relations with her boyfriend. Perhaps she is! Perhaps she's a very mature and thoughtful 14 year old. I've known some kids like that. But only you can determine that. Some children, even without diagnosed special needs, are actually not mature enough at 14 to handle ALL of what sex entails. They did the deed, but can't imagine all the things that swirl around the deed, and may not be ready to handle long-term relations.
So OP, just because she had sex a few times, doesn't mean she should continue. It depends on the actual reasons why she did this (there could be many, not all sexually related), your relationship and the trust between you, what her personality is, how good she is at impulse control and delayed gratification, and saying no... so many things.
Bets of luck navigating this.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Lots of misinformation here. Teens don’t need Paps or pelvic exams to get birth control pills. OP should advocate for her daughter to get access to a range of options without that barrier.
https://www.choosingwisely.org/patient-resources/pelvic-exams-pap-tests-and-oral-contraceptives/
But sexually active women of any age should have paps and pelvic exams in order to establish a baseline for healthy pelvic health going forward. If she’s sexually actively she needs a pelvic exam and Pap smear.
What in the world is baseline pelvic health? I agree that regular exams are necessary, but it has nothing to do with establishing baselines. We’re not talking about mammograms here.
Testing for hpv from the start and learning how to prevent it (including getting the shot if she hasn’t) is important.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Lots of misinformation here. Teens don’t need Paps or pelvic exams to get birth control pills. OP should advocate for her daughter to get access to a range of options without that barrier.
https://www.choosingwisely.org/patient-resources/pelvic-exams-pap-tests-and-oral-contraceptives/
But sexually active women of any age should have paps and pelvic exams in order to establish a baseline for healthy pelvic health going forward. If she’s sexually actively she needs a pelvic exam and Pap smear.
What in the world is baseline pelvic health? I agree that regular exams are necessary, but it has nothing to do with establishing baselines. We’re not talking about mammograms here.