Endometriosis is when endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing pain and potential reproductive complications. Common symptoms may include extreme pain during your period, pain during sex, excessive bleeding, among other symptoms. If you are experiencing pain or excessive bleeding during your period, you should see a doctor to check to check for any issues and get treatment to manage your symptoms. To get tested for endometriosis, you will need to see a doctor -

First, you should check if you are pregnant. If you have missed a period, you can take a pregnancy test which you can buy at your local drug store, or order online from Violet (violetproject.org/store), though this will take longer. You can also visit various clinics for free testing! If you feel comfortable talking with your parents, they can be a good resource to help you out. Regardless, if you think you are pregnant, you should visit a doctor. This could be your normal do

Yes! While it may be uncomfortable going to the doctor as a transperson at times, it is still very important to go to doctor and gynecologist to check on your health! Congratulations on taking charge of your own body and health journey! While all gynecologists should care of ALL people with female reproductive organs, transpeople do often face stigma or judgment in medical settings. To counteract this, many medical institutions, clinics, hospitals, and local LGBT organization

Good question! The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend beginning to see an OB/GYN between ages 13 to 15 years old. Around this time, many teens are going through or have gone through lots of changes with puberty. Through that process, it may be good to have an OB/GYN that you can trust to ask questions and concerns you have about menstruation, being sexually active, and other changes.

As a teen, you have the right to consent for your own STI testing and treatment without your parents present or signing off on it. This means you can have treatment without your parents' consent. However, the age at which a minor can consent for STI testing varies among states. In Maryland, for example, any one under age 18 can consent for themselves to get STI testing and treatment, and your doctor is not required to tell your parents about the treatment you receive. If you

Septate hymen is rare, and occurs when people are born with extra tissue on their hymen, which is a thin tissue that is around the vaginal opening. As a result, those with septate hymen may have what looks like two vaginal openings. Depending on the situation, some with this condition can find it harder to insert a tampon during menstruation or have painful sexual intercourse. If you are concerned that you have a septate hymen, the only way to know for sure is to see a doctor

However, he is vaccinated against hepatitis A. Was it positive because he was vaccinated? Should we be concerned? If your partner had a positive total antibody hepatitis-A test (or total anti-HAV test), then this means your partner is immune to hepatitis A. It could be positive after hepatitis A vaccination. However, this test alone cannot tell if you have a current hepatitis A infection or not. If you are concerned about a test result, it is always best to ask your doctor or

Most people start to see a gynecologist between 13 and 15 years of age.