Womens Gynae is still barbaric

Your vagina clearly has her own wisdom! ✨

Thank you for the advice. I will do that ❤️

This was 20yrs ago but I had a punch biopsy without anaesthetic. It still makes me feel fragile even now. I have no idea why it is still acceptable to snip bits of tissue out of women without pain relief.

I insisted on a general anaesthetic for the subsequent hysteroscopy and LLETZ.

I would refuse a male mammographer too. Though I was beaten up on a recent thread for saying this.

Where did I say you were ‘making the wrong decision’ or your behaviour was ‘wrong’?
My own behaviour was exactly the same for the same reasons until this very week.
Nor was I lecturing you.

Gynae procedures are fucking awful, kept awful because it’s only women after all, and I’ve avoided them for years now after my own painful and humiliating colposcopy, and fuck that I’m low risk.

However, I did have to see a gynaecologist this week, who was concerned at how my cervix looked. So I had a smear, and am referred for another colposcopy.
In the unlikelihood that I have cancer, the treatment will be far more horrific than had I had a smear a few years ago and earlier less invasive remedial action take .

ETA sorry, meant to quote @RedToothBrush

Me too. I’ve opted out of smears completely. I know it’s not advised but I’m not going through another one. I’m 58. I can still just about tolerate the breast screening but it is very painful as I’m big chested. And slightly off topic but if I ever went to breast screening and the HCP is male I would refuse.

You should be prescribed more or different progesterone as a first step. Those are the guidelines so they should follow them! You can ask for a GA gor the hysteroscopy.

I had exact same other than they'd shooed poor DH in so he saw it all in close up, though it finally got through to him how awful it can be. He was incandescent that they do all that (plus I had a polyp removed) with no pain relief whatsoever.

The violation is quite something though, hope you can take it easy and be looked after

Well, I would still encourage women to attend their screenings, biopsies and treatments.....
The question is that medicine has indeed changed the approach. Our girls are vaccinated. This should reduce drastically the cases of cervical cancer due to the HPV virus, which is the main thing checked during the cervical screening.
It is too late for us to get the vaccine, apparently. So we are unlucky on that front.

I later had surgical management for a miscarriage and was given pain relief tablets and also gas and air before the local due to how uncomfortable the injections into the cervix are, and then during the procedure.

Sorry is that the norm in the UK or is is a choice? To have an ERPC/D&C under a local? When I had mine and anyone else I’ve ever know who has had to have one it’s been under GA (Ireland). It’s not even the pain aspect. But the trauma of being awake during the experience.

I’m not criticising other people’s choices btw if there is that option but I’d be horrified if my only choice was to be awake and have a local

Yeap, that is the way it is. No anesthetics for this biopsy.
I had one too. I felt it at the time, it was painful, and then got worst on the next hours.
I also had the over the counter standard pain killers.
There is much much to develop in women health. A lot.

Don't lecture women making an informed decision.

Sorry but I despise people saying they are 'making the wrong decision'. The risk a) remains relatively small b) is stacked in certain groups with a certain risk profile c) the procedures themselves carry a risk of harm (including the risk of completely unnecessary treatment from a false positive).

This whole idea of 'correct and incorrect' behaviour needs to change. Women shouldnt be lectured on this and told they are 'embarrassed' or if they 'just talk to their practice nurse it'll all be ok'.

They need to get their heads around the idea that it's the procedures that need to change not the behaviour of women who are 'not complying'.

It patronising and tone deaf.

That's shocking! I had the same experience but it was 25 years ago. I thought things might have moved on by now.

Please don’t risk your health. I had a smear this morning (I’m also in my 50’s) Hadn’t for years after my horror colposcopy.
I was dreading it, because I hate them, but I was lucky enough to get the nicest nurse in the world, who was so kind and reassuring all the way through. Even had me laughing on the couch which made me feel less awkward.
Perhaps ask to have a chat with your practice nurse, she may be able to reassure you.

I went for a smear recently and the nurse couldn't complete it because my vagina clamped shut and said no! Well kind of.

Anyway, I ordered a home HPV test from a company called Daye and am waiting for that to come back. If it's positive I will have to try the smear again but if not, I am not going to bother and will just do a test every couple of years. I was just going to suggest you do the same if you don't already. It's not 100% foolproof but most cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV so it at least lowers the risk of not having it on the NHS.

I had one about a decade ago. The consultant asked me if I was particularly stoic and I said "not every" so it was done under GA. It was private of course, it would have been a different matter on the NHS.

If they can sedate for endoscopies (at either end), they can do it if they're going your vagina as well. I see no reason not to except sexism. Even if they don't do a GA they could use the same sort of sedation and pain relief combo that they use for a colonoscopy.

This.

Do not be guilted or shamed into not complaining.

ALWAYS put it in writing to the hospital and to PALS EVEN IF THEY SAY ITS YOUR WORD AGAINST THEIRS

Why because if someone comes along later and does a FOI saying 'how many complaints have you had about this?'. They can't say none. There is a trail of evidence. We know you won't be the only one from these threads.

One thing I found campaigning about Bounty years ago was that women didn't complain officially and this was used by the hospitals to stay there wasn't a problem.

When medical scandals do start to surface this type of stuff MATTERS. Even if they ignore you, it means there is a still a legal paper trial they can't just ignore.

Please please do put in an official complaint through official channels if this affects, even if you think it's pointless and won't change anything.

These things do tend to eventually catch up with hospital trusts in time; complaints aid the process.

We need to complain. Medical professionals need to understand the law and the consequences for them personally if they continue with a procedure without consent. It’s criminal assault. It is not for them to take it upon themselves to decide a patient isn’t in pain and that it’s better to proceed. Where a patient has mental capacity, it’s the patient’s call.

Agree.
It’s making me want to rage scream for women everywhere 💔 😡

I’ve stopped going to ‘preventative’ procedures (mammograms, smears etc) now I’m in my 50s as I don’t want my breasts squashed between 10/20kg of weight and I don’t want my vagina clamped open and my cervix cells scraped. If I ever have symptoms of anything I’ll cross that bridge but until they make women’s healthcare less like torture the medical system can F off.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14696083/I-passed-twice-having-IUD-fitted-BBC-Breakfast-star-Naga-Munchetty-BRYONY-GORDON.html

Naga Munchetty has been campaigning about this for some time too.

@DelboytrottersDnecklace - that is horrific, I am so sorry you had to go through that. Sending you much empathy.

I'm so sorry for everyone who has had a bad experience. I don't understand why there isn't a standard protocol for all hospitals to follow. Where I used to work lidocaine was given as standard and gas and air also available if needed, as well as recommending taking pain killers before appointment. I also had a colposcopy there myself and it was ok. I would urge people to contact PALS following a bad experience as addressing patient complaints can genuinely bring change.

Thats still not ok. You had withdrawn consent at that point.

They should cease IMMEDIATELY. No ifs, no buts.

I really really hope you complained - I know it’s difficult but that person needs a disciplinary action

Doctors (the now finished BBC tv show) did a campaign on this, it’s a shame it didn’t get more traction.

im so sorry this happened to you. I had a lecture a few weeks back about not being up to date with my smears. The last one was excruciating. I asked the nurse to stop. She didn’t - I get it she was almost there at that point. But still

A friend who is a recent medicine grad/new doctor said after his gynae placement that he would never want to work in gynae because of the barbaric and cruel methods used. It is systemic misogyny and no other department is as cruel.