Young women should include gynecology check-up in their college-prep checklist
A pre-college gynecological exam offers young women benefits that can last a lifetime, says Southwest Georgia’s top public health official.
“College-aged woman face a particular set of healthcare challenges,” said Dr. Jacqueline Grant. “By learning about health concerns associated with their population, they can avoid pitfalls and develop healthy habits that will help them as they enter adulthood and positively impact the rest of their lives.”
Grant, who is a practicing gynecologist as well as health director of the 14-county Southwest Georgia Public Health District, said that adolescents reaching college age face the risk of substance abuse, sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), poor nutrition and mental illness. Other hazards range from sexual assault to unwanted pregnancy.
“College offers a transition for young people to move from parental supervision to adult independence. During this phase of their lives, it is common for them to explore, experiment and try new things,” she said. “Having pre-college gynecological exams – complete with screening tests, immunizations and conversations about lifestyle choices with their physicians – can help young women stay healthy and safe.”
The National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which is conducted every two years, monitors health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability and social problems among youth and young adults in the United States, said Grant. The most recent survey, performed in 2005, revealed female students were more likely than male students to:
- ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
- attempt suicide
- fail to make use of a condom during their most recent sexual intercourse
- go without eating for 24 hours to lose weight or avoid gaining weight
- take diet pills, powders or liquids
- vomit or take laxatives to control weight
- fail to meet recommended levels of physical activity
Further, college-aged females were just as likely as their male counterparts to use alcohol, tobacco or methamphetamines, according to the survey.
“Three-fourths of young-adult deaths in this country are linked to motor vehicle wrecks, homicide and suicide,” Grant said. “With the prevalence of binge drinking and drug abuse, we see spikes in traffic fatalities, overdoses, violence and alcohol poisoning.”
Young women impaired by alcohol or drugs also increase their risk of sexual assault, Grant noted. “Most victims of sexual assault are women, with victimization peaking at ages 16 to 19,” she said. “They need to learn strategies to lower their vulnerability, like traveling with groups and passing up beverages that could be spiked with the `date rape’ drug flunitrazepam.”
Further, until this year, drug companies offered birth control discounts to college clinics, making them more affordable and assessable to young women. “Now that the cost of birth control is going up, some college students are opting to do without or use less effective methods, which is raising concerns that the rate of unwanted pregnancies may go up,” Grant said.
STDs are another threat to sexually-active adolescents and young women. The highest rates of Chlamydia trachomatis and gonococcal infections are in girls aged 15 to 19, the CDC reports. A previous multi-university study revealed approximately 60 percent of college females surveyed became infected with HPV (the viral infection that causes cervical and anogenital cancers and genital warts) during their college years.
“Abstinence is the only guaranteed method for avoiding such infections,” Grant said. “If abstinence isn’t a realistic option, then the need for education becomes even more important.”
Condoms, while providing excellent protection from Chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV, offer only limited protection from human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus and syphilis.
Eating disorders comprise yet another health concern for young women, Grant said. “Disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia, which frequently require mental health intervention, are the third most common chronic medical disorder in young adults. Consequences of severely restricting food intake or binge-eating and purging can – in its most severe form – include cardiac arrhythmia, pancreatitis and death.”
Finally, Grant said, students should be up-to-date on recommended immunizations before heading off to college.
“This is the time to make sure they have had the recommended doses of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine; hepatitis B; measles, mumps, rubella; human papillomavirus; varicella; poliovirus; pnemococcus; hepatitis A; and influenza vaccine,” she said. “Also, all students entering college should be immunized against meningococcus.”
A comprehensive exam and frank talk between a college-aged patient and her gynecologist can help identify potential problems early, Grant said. “Preventing problems is always better than treating them,” she explained. “Preparing physically for college is as important as getting scholastically prepared. Remember, in the long run, having good health is as vital as having a good education.”
