Start the Conversation
From driving to dating, teens and parents must work through many milestones together. Educating young women about the importance of gynecological care is one of those important milestones.
Not Sure Where to Start? Let Us Help
Schedule an appointment for your teen at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Women’s Health Services. Our experienced Ob/Gyn physicians provide exceptional, compassionate care. They will explain the services we provide to girls just like your teen and answer any questions you and she may have.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a first Ob/Gyn visit between ages 13 and 15. A first visit generally does not include a pelvic examination, but it is important for girls to establish a healthy physician patient relationship.
For adolescent gynecology patients, we provide:
- Breast health information
- Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine
- Management of menstrual disorders, including irregular or painful menstrual cycles
- Contraception counseling
- Pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory disease treatment
- Sexually transmitted disease information and screening
- Eating disorders and weight management resources
Don’t wait. Help your child establish healthy habits for life. Learn more about our Women's Health services.
Compassionate Care: The Importance of a Doctor Who Listens
Salmana Shaw, 46, of Rockville, Md., knew something was terribly wrong, but she couldn’t get answers from her gynecologist. Salmana had seen multiple doctors at one practice over six months, complaining of intense pelvic pain and daily severe bleeding. But each doctor ascribed her symptoms to a polyp, gave her a variety of medications and told her she would improve with time. She didn’t.
The pain and bleeding worsened. Salmana started missing work, became anemic and ended up in the emergency department twice, where doctors told her she needed to go back to her gynecologist. That’s when Salmana’s primary care physician at MedStar Health Primary Care at Gaithersburg referred her to the Ob/Gyn specialists at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.
As soon as obstetrician and gynecologist Sujithra Jayaraj, MD, talked with Salmana, she suspected fibroids. An ultrasound confirmed Dr. Jayaraj’s suspicions, and she scheduled Salmana for a hysterectomy to remove the fibroids. Salmana spent one night in the hospital and was soon back to working and exercising regularly.
“No woman should go through what I went through with doctors discounting my symptoms,” Salmana says. “Now I feel so good.” Dr. Jayaraj says strong relationships and good communication between doctors make referrals between MedStar facilities easy, and she says the hospital’s vast resources help, too. “Our in-office ultrasound helped me identify Salmana’s issue,” Dr. Jayaraj says. “She finally got a clear idea of what was going on without having to go to multiple locations and wait for test results.”
A speedy recovery was also possible because at MedStar Montgomery, gynecologists perform minimally invasive procedures that have been shown to shorten hospital stays and provide faster recoveries, getting patients back to work and daily life. At her follow-up appointment, Salmana brought a flower basket to Dr. Jayaraj to show her appreciation. “Dr. Jayaraj listened, took me seriously and provided me with a real treatment option that truly saved my quality of life,” she says.