About how old should you be when you start visiting the Ob-Gyn?

I heard somewhere that you only have to see your OBGYN annually AFTER you've started having sex. Since I haven't, I've only gone once in my life. Is this safe?

I'm 20 years old, and the other day, I went to the gynecologist to have my first pelvic exam. Upon learning that I was a virgin, my gyn told me that she would be unable to perform an internal exam on me. Needless to say, I was kind of shocked, but later, I called a friend, and she told me that she had had the same experience. In her case, the nurse practitioner told her that performing an internal exam would be like her "paying to take away her virginity."

Now I'm not American, and in my culture, there is still a strong association between the hymen and virginity. What I wanted to know was if American gynecologists would balk at the idea of performing an internal examination on a virgin. Also, isn't it important to get a Pap smear done even if you aren't sexually active and probably haven't contracted HPV?

I am 18 years old and my ex-boyfriend and I have been having phone sex. I need to know why it hurts after I finger myself. And then there is the discharge. I have been discharging for 2 or 3 years and it is white and clear sometimes and I don't know what it is.

I am going to the gynecologist soon, and I don't know what to tell her.

I am going to the gyno for the first time about cysts in my ovaries and I want to know if they will have to look inside me. Or do they just feel my abdomen?

My girlfriend had found a lump inside her vagina. What could this be?

I always get a sticky white goo in my pants, when I wipe it off it sometimes looks abit yellow. It doesnt itch, smell or I dont suffer from any pain with it. What do you think it is, and who do you think i should see about it?

I have horrible menstruation. Horrible. The cramps make me cry and be nauseous (I've had to stay at home on more than one occassion for them and I NEVER miss school), the blood flow is relentless (7 days usually), and I get a severe headache and mild fever. I have a suspicion that it's genetic, considering how my mother once bled for 12 days. Exercise seems to help, but I was wondering what else I can do? I'm sick of feeling like this a week every month. I'm at the end of my rope!