Adolescent Gynaecology

Dr Aneeqah Hendricks has an interest in adolescent gynaecology and can skillfully diagnose, manage and treat a range of issues that can affect women under the age of 18. Adolescent gynaecology covers general reproductive health problems in children and adolescents, adolescent sexual health, and the initial diagnosis and assessment of rare gynaecological conditions. With the challenges facing adolescents today, it has become clear that they have more specific physical and mental health needs. Adolescence is a time of emotional and physical change; therefore, gynaecological and sexual health problems are common.

Common symptoms and conditions treated under adolescent gynaecology include:

Menstrual disorders such as painful periods or abnormal bleeding
Rare gynaecological conditions - resulting from birth defects or malformation of the female genital tract or ambiguous genitalia
Unplanned early/teen pregnancy
Ovarian cysts/Polycystic ovary syndrome
Precocious puberty - this is when a child's body starts changing into an adults body too early
Infection or inflammation of the vagina, such as vulvovaginitis which develops because of bacteria, allergic reactions to chemicals or skin conditions such as eczema
Accidental genital trauma
It is important to be aware that some of these symptoms and conditions can present as a result of sexual abuse.

Teen girls often do not want to find out, want to accept or want to tell their parents that they are pregnant. Figuring out what they are pregnant can be tricky for teenage girls because their periods are not regular yet. Similarly, menstrual cycles are irregular for some girls because of excessive dieting, exercise, low body fat from sports, or anorexia. This means that they often do not get the prenatal care they need, such as monitoring for defects and practical advice such as taking prenatal supplements. Problems arising from complications in early pregnancy include high blood pressure and preeclampsia. These conditions can lead to premature labour and premature birth, which is not good for the health of the infant.