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?

I’m so sorry to hear that so many have had awful experiences.

While some are saying “demand XY”,“complain!”, the truth is we shouldn’t have to. HCPs should be knowledgeable, respectful and empathetic enough to explain options to their patients and give awareness of how it might impact them. Surely anything but is against the “do no harm” principle. Women generally have enough jobs to do already!

But, I guess, change rarely happens without a fight…

You are right. It shouldn’t be women in an already vulnerable position having to ask/demand/complain. It’s not acceptable.

I had to go for a gynae appointment following a TV scan showing a thickened womb lining. The scan was carried out at completely the wrong time in my cycle but my GP insisted.

The letter I received for my appointment had absolutely no information other than the time, date and venue. I arrived and went into the consulting room where the I was told to undress and get in the chair. Not even a hello and an introduction first.

I refused saying I wanted to discuss what was happening first and the doctor looked up at me and sneered saying ‘do you think I’m going to hurt you or something’. I got up and said I wasn’t comfortable with him and certainly wasn’t going to allow him to touch me without a full explanation first and left the appointment. When I got outside the hospital I was shaking with a combination of rage and fear. How dare that doctor dismiss my concerns in such a horrible way.

My GP wasn’t happy but I persuaded them to refer me for another scan at the right time and that one showed no cause for concern.

It pisses me off that women are treated so badly by the medical profession. There seems to be a culture of ‘shut up and put up you silly woman’ and it needs to change.

@RedToothBrush curious about what " certain groups" have a higher risk profile for cervical cancer and why

I refuse to have any procedure without anaesthetic. I will make a huge fuss about it if I need to do so. This is something we are all going to have to do in order to get equal treatment.

I have withdrawn from the NHS cervical screening programme. I was astounded at the extent to which that request was obstructed. I'd have thought, "I do not wish to do this would be sufficient". But no. It took three requests for them to send the opt out form with increasingly robust instructions to make an appointment meanwhile. When they did eventually send the form they refused to accept the Coompleted form. It had to be printed, required a wet signature, and then had to be posted/hand delivered. One wonders what people who don't have printers, etc. do. Opted out due to hideous past experiences and a retriverted uterus which too many nurses have implied is my fault. Funnily enough, suitably qualified doctors who I pay never ha e the same difficulties and so not cause pain.

B1rthdayD1lemna · Today 10:2
Thanks. Before I read this I just felt more embarrassed it’s a male gynaecologist. He’s probably a nice man but Iv never had this before. i will take a couple of strong co codamol before I go in and make sure I get a local anesthetiser if they are going to biopsy me.
Im sure when I spoke to the gp she said they give a local I’m in Scotland.
But I know there is something wrong down there. I had my ovaries and tubes removed last August and now I’m bleeding when the nurse tries to give me a smear. No pain with smear. I had a ct the end of January for other heath problems and that was fine, so where my tumor blood markers In April.

That's interesting. When I opted out (after horrible colposcopy, and bolstered by the Margaret McCartney article which I had read when it first appeared in the paper) I just didn't do anything. Chucked letters in the bin. I got a letter asking me contact them to withdraw from the programme. Didn't bother. Then got a letter saying they'd taken me off their list.
Great.
Then a couple of years later they starting inviting me for smears again!

I did have a smear yesterday after my gynaecologist instructed me to because she'd seen red marks on my cervix earlier this week. Guess that's fair enough as there's something there to merit investigation. Got transvaginal ultrasound and the dreaded colposcopy coming up too 😔

Ultimately, I winder if we as women, and an expectedly grateful population paternalistically being offered a "free" service have been the architects of such poor standards of service.

I urge every woman to refuse the types of procedures without anaesthesia/adequate pain relief and to be assertive and complain in relation to every episode of discourtesy, unkindness and what can only be described as abuse.

It is unacceptable. It will only change if collectively we make it change and call it out. The NHS is funded by the people for the people and is free only at the point of delivery. How many of you would have settled the Dr's/Hospital's bill in these circumstances had the service been engaged privately? Few I'd have thought.

Vive la revolution!

Took me 3 years to get them to stop sending me cervical smear requests.etfers emails and even visits to tell the receptionist in surgery and physically hand over another letter saying I want them to stop sending the letters etc

I don't have a cervix so you would think it wouldn't be that much bloody hassle

I had to have an transvaginal scan for retained placenta following a c section (don't ask), 4 weeks after birth. I asked if my husband could stay for support after a traumatic birth and was told no. When I pushed and explained why, the doctor (Female) said "what support is he possibly going to be for a little scan?"

I think it varies so much from place to place, that's the shocking thing. I have just been diagnosed with endometrial cancer and am facing a big op within the next few days. It has all been handled with care and kindness so far. The diagnostics were incredibly painful and intrusive (including internal ultrasound, hysteroscopy and biopsy) but I was helped through it every step of the way with utmost gentleness. I did notice, however, that at that stage of my care, all the staff I saw were women. I don't know if that is policy in that hospital. My surgeon is male, but I had been told it would be, and he seems similarly caring. He was certainly prepared to spend time with me, explaining things in detail and answering questions. I feel so sorry for anyone who has had a horrible or even less than ok experience. I know I would be feeling far more terrified than I am if that had been my experience.

If its so bad, go private. You can get payment plans. For every woman with a bad experience there is a man with an equally unpleasant experience.

For every woman with a bad experience there is a man with an equally unpleasant experience.

For gynaecological treatment? Seems rather unlikely.

Yes I think it varies, the culture of the hospital, the doctor's attitude, the doctor (or other HCP) involved skill level. I imagine pain thresholds and unexpected complications also come into it. Lots of variables.

Urgh rhey should have advised taking pain relief before the procedure.
Our trust has actually started having anurse do an hello and intro about what's going to happen then doing the after talk about aftercare. Its speeds up the consultants time to see people, patients better informed (and less having to deal with consultants who have personalitities of a brick)

How long does a colposcopy take to do?

well it wasnt any better in my experience.
I had a vaginal prolapse operation 2 years ago, waiting list was 15 months just to see a consultant so I decided to use an inheritance and go private - against all of my principles.
Male gynae consultant seemed all smiles and concern until he did the initial internal examination, it was very uncomfortable, quite painful and he was quite impatient with me.
I paid £6000 for the op and he didn’t even come to see me after the op, I was discharged about 3 hours after the op, no one walked me to the door or asked if i felt ok, I was just handed a pad to put on. I was given no info about how the procedure had gone.
When I went back for the follow up 7 weeks later, I told him it hadn’t worked properly, he stood up, shook my hand and said it must be a urologist consultation next time then as he’d done his job properly.
I chose him as he’d had good reviews but he definitely didn’t get one from me. I’ve had far more comfortable and reassuring experiences on the NHS

I’m sorry that you had a horrible experience and I agree women are expected to put up and shut up. I remember having the coil fitted when I was I was in my early 20s and it was so horrendously painful I went into shock. Childbirth was long and extremely painful with a back to back delivery and of course, pain relief was refused. A male doctor stuck almost his whole hand up my back passage without warning - I will never have another baby again.

When I had a MMC at 12 weeks the (male) doctor told me that the medical option would be like a heavy period, so I chose that as I didn't want to go away and wait for surgery. It was horrendous, and I really hope no one has periods like that.

I later had retained tissue and had the MVA surgical option rather than D&C so was awake for the procedure with gas and air. Blood all over the floor. And the (male) doctor commented that it's really just cells at that point, not a baby...

That's awful. My DD had an op at 18. We arrived to see her when we were told she was back on the ward. Her Consultant was sitting on her bed holding her hand when got there. He said she was his youngest patient that day and he didn't want to leave her until we got there. When the NHS does well it really does do well.

I hope everything is ok with you now.

I absolutely agree re: gynaecology procedures. Worse, it is often females medics who bully and minimise :-(

this ‘grin and bare it’ attitude does extend beyond gynaecology though. My husband underwent an endoscopy with no sedation or GA, just a quick spray on his throat. He was given a leaflet telling him that this was the norm and most people tolerate this well. He was also told that he would have to wait months for sedation or GA and this was only an option under exceptional circumstances. Add in he was freelance and needed to work the rest of the day and that was it. A friend in a different area was given sedation as a matter of course and couldn’t believe it was done differently elsewhere.

I'm. Not sure it is always better for men. One of my kids had an op when they were 12. Nurse came to get me to go into the recovery area and asked me to calm them down as the screaming was frightening.

Men were being wheeled in from theatre moaning with legs akimbo so assumed theyd had the equivalent of a gynse op (is there a name for that.). The nurses were laughing and making inappropriate comments, I think they'd forgotten I was there. There was definitely no kindness or consideration going on.

I found the least kind group of doctors I've come across were the young female doctors in a children's hospital. The kindest doctor there was a young man who was about 6'6" and big with it. He looked quite scary but was so kind and gentle .

I've given birth via vagina. Unfortunately I fell pregnant again and decided to have a termination and had a copper coil placed while I was knocked out.

Getting the coil out at the Dr's was horrific. Worse pain than my entire labour I swear which lasted hours. I had another coil placed at same appointment.

I was shaking, pale and threw up in the car. DH was driving.

2nd coil out, painkillers, numbing gel on cervix. No 3rd coil put in. I threw in the nurses sink.

I'm fine with smears, but anything occurs in the future gynae wise, I'd be asking for sedation. Imagine if I puked during a procedure. Plus my BP would be dangerously high.