Go read the Disclaimer again. I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. Seriously.
A lot of young people are not in the habit of going to the doctor. They have no major health problems, and they've figured out they do not need to go see the doctor for minor colds, so unless they break or sprain something, they aren't likely to have much to do with health care providers. Getting checked for STDs if sexually active, and some routine screening is about all a doctor might do during a physical, other than weighing and checking blood pressure, both easier and easier to do on one's own.
Pregnancy and childbirth and having a baby tend to lead to heavy use of professional health care. A healthy person who has not previously had much experience with professional health care providers might be very surprised at what passes for good treatment in these areas, and, not having personally received mediocre or bad treatment themselves, might be unprepared to make good decisions about what to accept or reject from the current standard of care.
While professional health care providers generally must get informed consent, and therefore must provide information, it only makes sense that the person pushing the procedure is not always the best source of information on a given topic. And professional health care providers are busy people who can't always keep up on the latest studies. Worst of all, they are the natural prey of pharmaceutical companies plugging their latest product, independent of whether it is useful, safe or effective.
The good news is that reproduction is not an illness or disability; it's just another part of living a healthy life. Think hard about why you are consulting an expert, and whether you need to consult an expert and if you do, if you are consulting the right kind of expert for the problem you would like assistance with.
Preconception decisions, including preconception medical care.
Deciding when to start seeing a health care provider after you become pregnant
Choosing a Health Care Provider for Your Prenatal Care and Birth
Prenatal Testing decisions
Procedures and Interventions Associated with Birth
Procedures for the baby after the birth
Choosing a Health Care Provider for Your New Baby
The Shady History of Pediatricians
Vaccinations for you and your baby
What not to see a doctor about: infant sleep patterns
Copyright 2006 by Rebecca Allen.
Created February 2, 2006 Updated March 8, 2006