Teen healthcare

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1721292,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

One in four teen girls has an STD. 40% of those that acknowledge having sex do.

Current guidelines, as I understand them, suggest that you take teen girls to the gynecologist as soon as they are sexually active, or at 18.

This is possibly the stupidest possible guideline.

Medically, it sort of makes sense. IF there are no reproductive health related problems, there is no reason to go the GYN. This is kind of the same logic that states if there are no health problems, you shouldn't bother ever taking your child to the pediatrician for a well-child checkup. Seriously, do all rules of parenting and common sense fly out the window as soon as a child hits puberty?

Children hit puberty between at around 10-14 years of age. At that point, they need to be seen by someone with experience in reproduction. Boys, maybe not, maybe a teen-centric pediatrician may be fine. But pediatricians don't have the expertise to diagnose and treat even minor gynecological issues.

Point is, women are supposed to go the gynecologist once a year from the time they're 18 until they're dead. What's a few extra years? Doesn't it make sense to take girls to the GYN as soon as they hit puberty to check for problems and answer questions? We check weight gain, height, motor development, and many other things in children. Why is reproductive health falling through the cracks?