Can social services make me let them do a pap smear on my 13 year old daughter ?

Is there a specific reason?

Why do they want to do a pap smear on a 13 year old girl? Is she sexually active? Has she shown symptoms that she could have cervical cancer?

As to can they insist on it… I don’t know where you are but where I am unless I gave permission, I think they’d have to get a court order. They’d need pretty compelling reasons to want to do such a test on a 13 year old.

What?!

Is she sexually active?

Yes, WHAT?!
There must be a reason. 13 year olds do not need pap smears unless a health issue is suspected.

According to the National Cancer Institute web site: “Current guidelines recommend that women should have a Pap test every 3 years beginning at age 21.” Tell them that.

Why is social service involved with your daughters healthcare? Sounds like there is more to this story.

There has to be more to this. Why do they want to do this test?

If she is sexually active she should be checked by a doctor at least once a year in my opinion.

Social Services would not be doing a pap smear on anything. My guess is the want to refer you to a doctor to do the test. Have there been allegations of abuse, and if so, what kind? There is more to this story and it’s impossible to answer it without knowing the whole story. Even if we knew your side of the story, there’s likely more than that. If there’s a court order, a lawyer could be appointed to you and that lawyer would be answering your legal questions. In the state I work in, NY, the parent has the right to refuse anything unless it’s from a court order.

A pap smear or a general exam? It might depend on the state, but if they suspect that there’s abuse going on, they may be able to push for it – especially if this is not the first time your daughter has been brought to their attention.

I can’t see them trying to force you to take her to have a pap, specifically, because that’s to check to see if she has healthy cells. I don’t know where you live, but in my state, I know that once they suspect abuse and they’re actively trying to force you into things, they don’t back down.

I know this because we’ve been fostering a child who was sexually abused. If you feel that they have no legitimate reason to suspect abuse, you might want to consider getting a lawyer because there’s a possibility that you’re going to be in for a long ride.

I wouldn’t do it unless there was a court order. If it were my child and they wanted me to do it, I’d make them take me to court. If you have a foster child, you’re in a different situation.

Is it possible they’re trying to test for the Herpes virus? I’ve heard of this testing being done on adolescent girls.

Herpes virus can only be tested during an active outbreak. You can do a blood test to prove exposure, but it doesn’t really mean anything.

Or, maybe you meant HPV @janbb? That’s something else. PAP smear looks for cellular changes most often caused by HPV. In a girl that young the likelihood it will be positive is low even if she has been exposed to the virus.

Hopefully the OP comes back to add details. Otherwise we can all speculate until the cows come home.

Hopefully.

@JLeslie You’re right, I meant HPV. I had definitely heard of young girls getting tested for that and suspect that was what they were looking for.

But again, the OP asks an informational question and doesn’t come back to respond to requests for furtherdetails. This is the type of question I’m referring to.

The old rule was if a girl is sexually active she should have a GYN check up, which included a Pap smear. Now, there is a belief that most young girls who show abnormal cells self correct and a follow up pap is often negative. So, the recommendations now are less aggressive, but I have my own feelings about that. I think girls should go to the doctor when they become sexually active. There is a plethora of STD’s and young girls are less likely to report symptoms.

Some STD’s are symptomless in some women and wreak havoc on fertility. So, teens who are active should have cultures done and a Pap in my opinion. Especially Chlamydia, one of the ones that can have no symptoms or mysterious ones. Girls and women often have discharge complaints dismissed by other adults or even doctors. Pain in the lower abdomen can be dismissed as cramps, growing pains, digestive, etc.

Chlamydia does not show up on a pap nor a regular culture. It needs a separate specific culture done.