In Uncle Doctor’s working life, he has to meet women of various ages as an obstetrician-gynecologist, examining, treating, caring, and providing consultations. One day, he had the opportunity to talk with a mother who has a teenage daughter…
This mother asked about the cervical cancer vaccine, at what age it can be administered. Her eldest daughter is 16 years old, studying in grade 10, and she wondered if she could get the vaccine. Uncle Doctor replied that she could, and it is advisable to get vaccinated to prevent cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in women (the first being breast cancer). Cervical cancer is caused by the HPV (Human Papilloma virus) that comes with unprotected sexual intercourse. After explaining, he felt that mothers these days are quite attentive to their daughters, as teenagers alone might not come to get vaccinated due to various limitations, fear of needles, reluctance to get vaccinated, fear of pain. Uncle Doctor thinks it’s good if adults support this, as building health is better than repairing it. It should be a trendy idea for the new generation.
The same mother also mentioned that last year, her daughter introduced a 17-year-old male friend to her grandmother at home, saying he was her boyfriend. Out of concern for her granddaughter, the grandmother advised that they could date but should not have sexual relations, and should know how to protect themselves.
But the daughter argued with her grandmother that teaching like this is quite outdated nowadays. It’s better to teach how to protect oneself. The school even has a condom vending machine… Actually, Uncle Doctor thought to himself that both the grandmother and granddaughter were right. But the important thing is “Do they do as they intend?” If they don’t want to get pregnant during school or if their financial and work situation isn’t stable, and they haven’t told their parents, they must take care of themselves seriously and not be careless. They should be able to tell the guy what they want and show him that they are aware and don’t want to get pregnant. The important thing is to love oneself first because women are the ones who get pregnant.
Another important thing is “Do they really know about how to take birth control pills, implant contraceptives, and have condoms ready?”
The mother continued to say that she listened from a distance without saying anything, but she always taught her daughter that she could talk to her about anything, no secrets between them. She tried to take care of and teach her daughter closely, even to the point of bathing with her, to teach her how to behave properly and appropriately, and told her that she was concerned because she couldn’t always closely monitor her daughter.
Hmm, this mother is quite reasonable, surrounding her child with love, not restrictions…
The mother then continued to say that a month later, her daughter broke up with the boy because his father was uncomfortable seeing them together, as it wasn’t the right time and they were too young. Her daughter said, “Then let’s just break up, I’m bored,” and expressed to her mother that she wasn’t sure if it was love or not, maybe it wasn’t true love. “It’s okay, I’ll take good care of myself. I’m not good at studying, only getting a GPA of 2 or so. Better focus on studying…”
The mother smiled as she spoke… It was clear that the closeness with her daughter had a positive effect, and she bid farewell to Uncle Doctor with a bright smile.
In this case, Uncle Doctor would like to commend that it’s a good thing, not overly obsessed, not addicted to love and infatuation, being mindful, able to think and analyze. Even though the mother said her daughter is very private, staring at her iPhone, with earphones plugged in, not paying attention to anyone, Uncle Doctor wants adults to understand today’s youth that the “head-down society” is a sign of the times. But family conversations with teenagers should encourage them to consult and openly discuss problems that arise, so they can quickly and timely find preventive measures. If they know their child is sexually active, they should understand and guide them with love, so the child is aware.
The feelings of this mother are a good perspective from adults. Uncle Doctor wants teenagers to be brave, no matter what happens, parents are always a refuge for their children. Do you agree with Uncle Doctor?
With love and care
Dr. Ruangkit Sirikanchanakul, RSA Network Coordinator