How old should a girl be before she has a breast exam

I think it is less of a specific age but has more to do with when a girl starts to develop. But 13 to 15 sounds about right based on the onset of puberty in most girls. I was 12 when I started to develop and got a brief look at my chest by the doctor, more of a check on my development than a breast exam. But the next year at 13 I did get my first breast exam with palpation, along with a talk about self breast exams, their importance and how to do one. Looking back, the breast exams I received at 13 and 14 were very brief in comparison to the breast exam I got at my first gynecological exam and have received since then.

Current US guidelines suggest routine clinical breast exams begin at age 20. Visual assessment of budding breasts together with external genital exams may begin as early as age 9 and annual gynecological visits are suggested to begin between the ages of 13-15. However pelvic exams and Pap smears are not recommended for asymptomatic women until age 21. More information from sources:

http://www.guideline.gov/syntheses/synthesis.aspx?id=39251

http://www.acog.org/Resources_And_Publications/Committee_Opinions/Committee_on_Gynecologic_Practice/Well-Woman_Visit

"....organizations also recommend the teaching of breast self-awareness and inquiry into medical history and family history of risk factors for breast disease. Breast self-awareness educates patients about the normal feel and appearance of their breasts. For many patients, breast self-awareness also may include performing breast self-examinations. Both modalities have the potential to alert the patient to changes in her breast that should be reported immediately to her physician and may lead to earlier detection of breast cancer." - ACOG Well-Woman Visit

I would say a girl during her late teens should be taught the right way to examine her own breasts. Before it her breasts must be examined of course by the doctor. It is more important if in her family has had breast cancer. If so, she is in a risk group in a way.

I quite agree Baraja

I would say when puberty occurs so about 12 or 13 years of age.

It's my understanding that girls reach puberty much earlier these days. That's why they're so interested in sex & boys. Surveys show that half the girls have had their first intercourse by just after their 14th birthday. That means that many of them are having it even earlier, since they don't all just suddently have it after the 14th birthday. Even when I was growing up a long time ago, I kinew a 9 yo girl who had sex with boys on the block. I think that was very unusual then, but much more common today. In more recent years 've known 11 yo girls who had older sleep-over bf's -- with their parents consent. The law still lags reality.

Girls need medical & sexual info a lot earlier to avoid problems.

I had my first routine breast exam at fourteen, during a gynecological exam. The doctor was accustomed to examining teenagers and young people, and so to preserve modesty, she did the exam over the gown. Of course, then she did a pelvic, which kinda defeated the point of preserving modesty, but hey.

However, when I was 8, I had noticed my something weird going on with my chest: my breast area felt swollen and lumpy. I was worried that I had breast cancer (silly, I know). My mom was confused, so she took me to the pediatrician, who spent several long minutes palpating each breast before announcing that my breasts were budding, and there was nothing to worry about. So I guess that was really my first breast exam.

I guess as part of assessing if patient is at appropriate development level all annual checkups involve a visual breast exam at least.

An actual exam with palpation begins when the dr decides its appropriate. One of our girls had a palpable bud at 8 which dr picked up and felt it was quite early but nothing really came of it.

Less an age thing and more when it becomes clinically relevant.

As per what I was told by my gynec, breasts grow till early 20s (now I also know, back then I wasn't interested in medical stuff at all). So according to her a girl should have breast exam started by 20-21.

I was 21 when Dr started with mine Though I have had only one exam in real, doctor told me that now is the right time to start looking at my age. Though in my case she would have done it anyways I think.

But that's what she said…you are 21 so you should start. Ever since I atleast do self exam every 5-6th

Isn't it true that girls should start doing breast self-examinations while still teenagers? By the same token, boys should start doing testicular self-examinations as teenagers. I could be wrong, but I think health experts advocate such self-examination.

Isn't it true that girls should start doing breast self-examinations while still teenagers?

I think breast exam is started in early 20s because breasts keep changing till 19 or 20. I remember my gynec said, “you are grown up now” hence I am guessing.

Same thing my girlfriend also told me. She was started on breast exam and self exam by when she she almost touched 21

I am not aware how it is for guys.

Not sure how old they should be before they get a breast exam. My wife had her first breast exam performed at her first gynecology exam at age 15.

Young girls should get used to breast exam from age 13-14, and learn to do self exams.

I had my first one at 16, but I know girls who had them earlier.

I’m not sure. But my first exam, that I remember, was at age 11. I was overwhelmed that I found myself suddenly bare chested and this doctor, who I liked and trusted, was touching my chest and breasts and areolae. It was more than I could process then. And the exam only got more intimate.

I was 12. I wore a bra to the doctor and had to take it off so she could check them. It was not as long as a regular breast exam, a very quick palpation.

I have posted earlier also. This is from my experience yesterday

Yesterday when I took my friend for her appointment (wrote about it in blog section) . She needed to see a gynec also. The Dr did her breasts exam also. She also asked her about self exam. This was a different gynec but was surprised to know that my friend who's my age (23/24) still doesn't do self exam. She was like you should have started by 20.

This was my friend's first gynec appointment. And obviously she was very tensed. This made me realise that having awareness about breast exam and actually doing it are two totally different things. I was aware about self exam before my first visit to the gynec about 3 years back. But I started doing self exam only after Dr asked me to start. I was also embarrassed.

Even though it's with our own body but breast self exam is embarassing for many. That's why the delay in having the first one. Like my friend. She may have been aware but may not have started the self exam out of embarrassment.

Starting self exam at right age is absolutely important but we need to prepare our minds that way too. Just creating awareness but attaching a stigma to an intimate exam nullifies the effect of awareness.

Here going to a gynec embarrasses ladies in general. How much medfet liker I may be but I also didn't tell my friends that I needed to see a gynec.

I am sure situation is similar in many more countries.

My first “Let's talk about breast exams” experience I was 13 and it was more like hey let me show you self exams etc.

As soon as her breast start to develop, which now a days would be very young thanks to all the chemicals and steroids in food.

My first time hearing about breast exams was when I was 9 did not get a actual breast exam till I was 10 and actually getting development did not want too take the training bra off for the first time at all for the doctor, took a lot of convincing

Age isn't really a factor more if it is relevant? Having have precocious puberty I recall having a breast exam fairly early on because I had proper boobs. I think routinely they look at stage of development rather than perform an actual breast exam until teens when encourage the whole self exam and importance of checking / knowing what is normal for them.

Not even going to get my eleven-foot pole out to touch this one.