This week I contacted my favorite women’s health nurse practitioner to ask her what her wish list was for her patients this year. Next to each number you will find her wish, and underneath each is my own two cents.

1. '"Birth control' is so much more than contraception. It helps treat acne, cramping, heavy periods, irregular periods, endometriosis, ovarian cysts. It can also help prevent ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer."

Ladies, if you’re suffering from any of these medical problems, consider birth control! Talk to your doctor about your options. Cramping, heavy/irregular periods, endometriosis, and cysts are no joke. No one deserves to be in that much pain or discomfort every month.

2. "Understand that the pill does NOT cause weight gain, it will NOT cause birth defects if you get pregnant, it is NOT an abortifacient , it will NOT cause infertility, and it does NOT cause cancer."

There are a lot of myths and confusion surrounding the pill. The best thing you can do is to be a responsible consumer and seek out information for yourself. Find accurate medical sources, and do your research! If you decide you want to talk to your doctor about taking the pill, then arrive at your appointment with some good questions.

3. "An annual gynecological exam is recommended if you are sexually active. Pap smears (to screen for cervical cancer) don't start until 21 years old. Be sure to go in for a routine exam to make sure you’re healthy, and get a screen for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) ANNUALLY. If you are not sexually active, you should still have an annual 'wellness' exam."

Though your risk for cervical cancer is low if you’ve never been sexually active, you should still consider getting a pap smear annually. Just to reiterate exactly what Dr. Anonymous said, if you are sexually active, make sure you are getting yourself tested every year for STIs. This is extremely important even if you are not showing any signs or symptoms. Just be safe, and take control of your body and your health. All it takes is a simple search to find testing clinics near you! (Note: you can also ask your regular doctor for those kinds of tests too.)

4. "You are not having a pap every time there is a speculum in your vagina."

Take care of your vagina. Get a pap.

5. "The ER does NOT do pap smears"

I wasn’t aware that the ER doesn’t do pap smears, but there you go! Now you know.

6. "A pelvic exam should not hurt (unless there is an infection, then it may). If you are getting exams with someone who is hurting you, SWITCH PROVIDERS!"

You should be happy and comfortable with whoever your medical provider is. If you can’t speak freely and openly with your doctor, then switch! I have a good relationship with all of the medical providers I have been blessed to go to (dentist, orthodontist, primary care, gyno). You should be able to ask all of the questions you have about your health. It’s your body! Take care of it.

7. "You can still get infections from a same-sex encounter"

Contact with the secretions involved in any kind of intercourse can put you at risk for infection. Though I encourage all of you to love who you love, be sure to always do it safely. You don’t want to put you or your partner at risk.

8. "Cold sores are herpes and can be transmitted through oral sex."

Seriously, the rates of herpes in this country are astounding. And herpes isn’t a treatable virus. It’s one of the more annoying STIs because it’s lifelong. It’s also particularly scary because you might not show symptoms right away. What can be even scarier is that you can spread herpes even if you don’t have active sores.

9. "You CAN get pregnant the first time you have sex"

If you have vaginal sex with a guy, even if you use protection and you’re on the pill, there is still a chance of getting pregnant. Also, I can’t stress enough that if you’re sexually active there is no foolproof way of avoiding STIs either. In this sense, there is no “safe” sex, there is only “safer” sex. Always minimize your risk for infection as much as possible by taking the proper precautions (for example, using condoms for both men and women), but understand that you are taking a risk with every partner and every encounter.

10. "Everyone should get the Gardasil vaccine (males and females), even if you are not planning to have sex until you get married. 1: chances are low that you will marry a virgin, and 2: it will help prevent transmission of HPV if (God forbid) you are ever assaulted."

If you have a chance at avoiding contracting the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), then wouldn’t you want to? We all had to get all kinds of vaccines when we were little to avoid all kinds of nasty things. You never know what you could be exposed to in your lifetime due to unforeseen circumstances.