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AIBU?

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Original poster

Surely doctors who do this should have short fingernails?

65 replies

bgudd · 06/09/2025 00:03

I had my Mirena coil replaced this week. It's the third replacement and I don't remember any pain at all from previous times - just a bit of discomfort. But this time it was intensely, sharply painful, and made me scream out. I'm wondering it was because the doctor had long fingernails. They weren't talons, but they were long enough to stick out, and therefore stick in. (I noticed them because they were painted black and quite chipped). Aibu?

OP posts:
Pomer0l · 06/09/2025 07:58

Her fingers are not inside you though - only the speculum, forcep-type thing and the coil

Original poster
bgudd · 06/09/2025 07:56

OwlBeThere · 06/09/2025 02:19

I’m it sure the doctors fingers should be inside in order to cut you, should they??

I don't know - she gave me instructions on how to use my finger to check if the coil is in place, so I assume she had to use her fingers to insert it. How would she do it otherwise?

OP posts:
florizel13 · 06/09/2025 07:55

Nurses aren't allowed long painted nails, I didn't think doctors were either!

Original poster
bgudd · 06/09/2025 07:53

MrsSkylerWhite · 06/09/2025 00:52

Doctors wear gloves.

Gloves don't cushion fingernails though, and fingernails can split them.

OP posts:
Original poster
bgudd · 06/09/2025 07:52

CharlotteFlax · 06/09/2025 00:50

Was this in the UK?

Yes

OP posts:
BrokenWingsCantFly · 06/09/2025 03:14

Doesn't sound professional. I know someone who is a cleaner for the NHS in a hospital and they are not allowed to wear nail vanish. There should surely be even stricter rules for those that work directly on patients

Gettingbysomehow · 06/09/2025 02:32

How revolting and unprofessional. I work in the NHS and we have to have short nails with no polish not even clear polish. They are an infection control risk, gloves can easily split.
I would not allow anyone near me with nails like that.

OwlBeThere · 06/09/2025 02:19

I’m it sure the doctors fingers should be inside in order to cut you, should they??

MrsSkylerWhite · 06/09/2025 00:52

Doctors wear gloves.

CharlotteFlax · 06/09/2025 00:50

Was this in the UK?

Chriskeela · 06/09/2025 00:20

One of mine was agony on insertion - but I later learned there was a fibroid blocking its path.

TinyTempest · 06/09/2025 00:18

But obviously the dress, tattoos and fingernails colour has nothing to do with anything.

TinyTempest · 06/09/2025 00:17

It was probably the speculum that hurt.

I'd had loads of coils and none of the fittings hurt except one, where she pinched me with the speculum.

Original poster
bgudd · 06/09/2025 00:12

SusanSHelit · 06/09/2025 00:07

Did the doctor not wear gloves? They absolutely should not have long nails though. I work in healthcare and long nails are such a massive infection control thing. So much gross shit (occasionally
actual shit) can get stuck under them.

They shouldn't really have had polish on either, but that's less important than them being long.

I assume she wore gloves - I didn't see - but in any case, gloves wouldn't have cushioned the fingernails.

My GP surgery said they couldn't do the replacement so they referred me to a sexual health clinic. The doctor looked more like a tattoo artist than a doctor - short black dress, tattoos, and the black fingernails.

OP posts:
SusanSHelit · 06/09/2025 00:07

Did the doctor not wear gloves? They absolutely should not have long nails though. I work in healthcare and long nails are such a massive infection control thing. So much gross shit (occasionally
actual shit) can get stuck under them.

They shouldn't really have had polish on either, but that's less important than them being long.