Womens Gynae is still barbaric

[ellie09]

Recently got referred to a colopscopy for a biopsy after an abnormal smear.

I have had biopsies before, on my skin etc and I assumed there would be local anesthesia of some sort for this one.

But no.

Two biopsies taken from my cervix with no local anesthesia or pain relief provided. It was painful, it was burning and I burst into tears afterwards in the car.

I wasnt expecting to have a screen of my cervix directly beside me, showing the procedure. I wasnt expecting to get up from the chair and blood to be below me on a paper towel on the floor (I thought they would have removed this before I got up)

I like to think I have a really high pain threshold - I have been through birth, tattoos, piercings, kidney stones etc without much complaint, but this seemed to really rile me up.

Not to mention, nothing was explained thereafter, I was taken into a room with wipes and a pad and told I could go home. Thats it.

Went home, took painkillers and cried some more.

Is this really womens health in 2025?

Appreciate your informed posts @RedToothBrush.

Barbaric.
I was sent home the day after c section with paracetamol.
And had a hysteroscopy with zero pain relief.
it wouldn’t happen to the men.

McCartney's other observation about screening is does it extend your life?

Her point is that for many there is a point at which your body just fails. So you will die of SOMETHING at that point.

But screening research will sometimes only look at whether someone died from the issue they were screening for or not. And it's important to separate studies like these from others.

The argument is that for screening to really be a success you have to work out whether it prolongs your life OR whether it just stops you dying from a particular cause, but you still die at that point anyway from something else.

This matters because sometimes the treatment for a particular condition can be awful in its own right and affect quality of life. And are you better, spending your last days enjoying them as best you can or undergoing invasive treatment which isn't actually going to make you live longer? This is where more information can change behaviours.

So again the way you present data to patients matters.

I think one of the themes from all this on that whole, and going back to the OP is how doctors actively can and do withhold information in various ways to get patients to behave in a particular way that is often in their interest in some way (to keep budgets down or because it's less paperwork or because it's quicker). And this might not necessarily be in the best interests of the patients themselves and if the patients are made aware of these things they will behave differently.

Notably it's women who get the shitty end of the stick with this most, because of poor attitudes and because women are less likely to challenge or question a doctor because that's the way they have been socialised.

I had to have a general in the end because my cervix spasmed and I fainted. It’s unbelievable really. And no one warns you either so you don’t know to insist on local anaesthetic or premed (Valium or the like).

Posted in error.

Thanks this looks interesting

Sorry to read this. I had the same a year ago. The pain was awful, and I struggled to walk back to my car which I’d parked half a mile away.

For my last gynae procedure, they were testing out a new machine. There were six people in the room! However, one of those was a nurse, whose sole purpose appeared to be checking that I was as comfortable and pain free as possible all the way through. She checked in with me constantly, as well as just chatting to try to take my mind off things throughout. There are definitely some people at least working in the field who are very thoughtful and caring.

I’m very sorry that not everyone gets the same level of care.

I won’t have a mammogram due to false positives and thankfully don’t need smears as had a hysterectomy
I have to have regular urological surgery and when I first had it done was GA and 2/3 night stay - now it’s day case and no anaesthetic!
I find it incredibly painful and always ask my GP for a sedative eg diazepam to take the edge of this
The tiny dose they offer for someone of my body weight is almost negligible and does nothing - Dcat who weights less than 3kg was on a higher dose after his last urinsry obstruction!
I dread it immensely and have nightmares before and after

Thank you for your support. That was me.

I am very well informed and have done my research and have weighed up my risks and made an informed decision based on this.

The smear test. I am extremely low risk for hpv. I will take an at home hpv test occasionally.

I have decided that the risks to my health from having these invasive, unnecessary (for me) procedures done is higher than without. There are concerns in recent studies and research that the actual stress of the mammograms, the radiation and the effects of the breast tissue being compressed under so much weight can actually CAUSE damage.

As a few others have pointed out there are also serious concerns raised over mammograms and false positives. It’s called over-diagnosis. Too many ‘cancerous’ lesions are found that would never develop into cancer or anything problematic. Lesions that women are having removed for no reason that their immune systems would just deal with naturally. A tipping point where the harms outweigh the benefits have been identified by many experts. Switzerland have ceased regular screening and I believe Canada. So many women go through unnecessary stress and even operations because of these.

I had a hysteroscopy recently. The consultant who booked it for me said “you’ll be fine” so I assumed having had 2 children it would be nothing to worry about.
on the day of the procedure I was offered a local but they said because of where it needs to be administered this can be painful in itself so I decided as it would be relatively quick I didn’t need it. during the procedure they did offer me gas and air as could see I was in a lot of discomfort. I declined because I just thought I was making a load of fuss. I have to say the staff were all very kind and considerate I just wish I’d have known beforehand how uncomfortable it would be and I don’t know why I had the attitude just to suck it up and be brave.
i genuinely would advise anyone having the procedure done to ask for/accept pain relief

Last time I was at the nurse getting repeat contraceptive pills she asked if I wanted to get a coil. I said no, I’d heard it was sore, and she agreed and said that’s why she’d never get one but they were forced to suggest it. I hate this sort of patronising clap trap. Why not give us the facts instead of just pretending.

@ellie09 you and ALL women deserve better.

I read a book and listened to an interview by a physician who was lamenting exactly your point, too much of gynecological care is still based on misogynistic practice. It's unacceptable. We should be enraged women are still treated this way.

I'm going to try to find the interview/book and will post it here.

In the meantime, please know you can request GA for this. It's very rarely offered as an option. It is an option. Please if you feel strong enough feed back to both the team & the clinic/hospital. It takes many many voices for change. We must not accept this is women's health care in 2025.

Hugs to you

@ellie09ask to be done under GA for LLETZ procedure. They will try and down play it but you have a right to have done under Ga 💖

I'm not in the UK and we can now do our own smear tests if we want, but at the GP's surgery. I decided to give it a go, even though smears don't bother me, and it was a piece of cake.

I’m so sorry this happened to you - I had the same . It felt medieval x

I really wish I hadn’t read this. Iv been sent for a colposcopy a week on Monday. I certainly won’t be looking at no screen. I’m in so much pain down below just now so hoping to get answers. I’m hoping I get pain relief.

Switzerland do still have regular screening as do Canada - this appears to have been a viral social media post that spread misinformation.

I had a mammogram on Thursday and a breast ultrasound yesterday. They weren’t the worst I’ve had and I put that down to it being day 6 after the start of my period. I was told I would only be allowed it between Day 5-20, as a peri menopausal woman that’s like throwing a dart at a board but luckily I was Day 6 and I think that might have helped. The Doctor told me that women were now being refused private healthcare if they did not have this screening every two years (I live overseas). She also told me that for every 10 mammograms, one woman would have cancer which seemed outrageously high but perhaps not if they’re identifying cancers that the body would naturally get rid of.

I could cry and rage reading your stories it’s awful As someone who has had very painful smears and a vulva biopsy there is no space for complaining We are treated like whingers, moaners and children and are meant to be grateful and just shut up - well fuck that.

I recently had excellent care by a female consultant with a team of 4 and a student. The experience was still bloody awful (‘lost’ coil removal requiring local anaesthetic, a camera, an ultrasound, pain relief called the ‘green whistle’ and a lot of discomfort on my part) but they did their level best to make me as comfortable as possible including a nurse holding my hand and repeatedly asking if I wanted more pain relief when I was trying to be brave. I felt looked after and cared about.

Some of the experiences on here sound horrific, I’m shocked things like this don’t have minimum standards of care.

Came here to say the same thing. 2 separate biopsies done about 20-23 years ago. No anaesthetic. Horrendous pain afterwards. First Dr sounds like your experience. 2nd was much nicer. And the nursing staff were all lovely. They finally did local anaesthetic for the loop excision they had to do after the biopsies came back.

@ellie09 I'm sorry you had to go through this. Barbaric is an appropriate description.

YANBU

How some women are treated in healthcare is absolutely barbaric.

Why should you have to go private to be given adequate pain relief/be put under GA for a painful procedure!

I’m so sorry OP.

there are a few threads about this, and a campaign about it too. You’re not wrong , it is barbaric.

I've always taken pain killers before any procedure. Uterine biopsy was the most uncomfortable but it wasn't painful.

It baffles me how medieval gynae/ antenatal care is in the UK. My mum 30 years ago was told she was being dramatic after a c section and they didn't believe the button to press for pain relief wasn't working. They also deliberately left her food tray at the other end of the room so she had to get up and walk. Someone else came in the next day and the cannula wasn't even in her vein! My first smear I was traumatised, I actually felt violated and assaulted if I'm honest, she was so rough and I was screaming, I went home and curled up under my duvet and cried! I recently gave birth and they failed two epidurals and I was screaming that the second one didn't work either and I could feel her ripping me apart and they kept saying I was being ridiculous and I was fine. Afterwards I was referred to as "the famous 3rd degree tear" yet all I was given was paracetamol, yet when I was in a and e recently with someone, a guy who slashed his finger was given dihydrocodeine!!

I’m sorry you’re in pain. Can you contact the clinic to ask in advance about pain relief and put your mind at ease?