I was completely through menopause by the time I was 43, not uncommon among the women on the maternal side of my family.

I'm 56 now, and continue to have annual pap smears and mammogams because of a number of personal and familial risk factors. I've never much minded either procedure.

I do prefer a female practitioner, simply because i find women easier to talk to and less intimidating. I also have found that I prefer my direct provider to be either a FNP or PA. They tend to be more cautious and thorough, and not in nearly as much of a hurry as MD's have to be these days, whether they be male or female. I've had the same FNP for the last 5 years, which is a blessing. I went through a long period of having to change doctors or practitioners every year or so because of changes in insurance by my employers.

Janie