my friend had this happen at her 20 week scan - is this normal?

[Keenoonvino]

She has just told me that to check her cervix, the sonographer went up her bumhole for a look. Is this normal?! She said he didn't really explain anything just did it. She had her partner in the room with her.

I am dying of curiosity wondering if this is normal or not and if so, why has this not happened to me, anyone I know, or in anything I've read?!? I don't want to press her for any more details...

I'm with virgolia. Your friend is a cow.
Otherwise I'm struggling to believe this.

Biology surely means camera up arse = not seeing anything baby related

You can see the uterus if you go up the anus!

I'm with virgolia. Your friend is a cow. Otherwise I'm struggling to believe this.

I had my cervix checked TV, but early on in my pg due to history, this does sound odd. I also queried my cervix with my mw who referred to sonographer' snores in my file. Never did anyone scan up my bum.

My friend is not a cow, she would obviously not make this up, and why would I?!

I'll let you know what she says when I chat to her. Id like to know if she was asked to get undressed when she went in. If she was, I think this is incredibly dodgy and would encourage her to report...

I had TV scans to look at placenta location from 28-38 weeks. No explanation for this incident though?!

What I want to know is if it was actually required. Perhaps it was necessary for him to do, but he didn't explain anything to her and just did stuff without her knowledgable consent. This is obviously bad but not as bad as him doing something like that for his own jollies and with no medical reason....

Sorry OP I was only trying to lighten the mood.

Evening all,
this thread is generating quite a few reports, so I'm just popping on to say that a. it isn't raising any alarm bells at our end and b. HE DID WHAT???!!

If your friend is uncomfortable with what happened then she should contact the dept and ask for it all to be explained to her. Ask for the Imaging Services Manager

The crux is that he should NOT have said 'I need to do this' - he should have EXPLAINED, and then asked for CLEAR PERMISSION.

She was assaulted.

If this has really happened, she should kick up the most massive stink.

Transperineal scanning is an effective way to check for placenta preavia as it reduces the risk of causing a bleed in comparison to transvaginal. This could explain the reason why the sonongrapher did this but the procedure should have been fully explained before it was carried out and the reasons for going transperineal explained in detail. I don't think your friend was assaulted but a complaint regarding the lack of explanation from the sonographer and adequate communication seems very fair x

Never heard of this. Not surprised it was a bloke either

I've never had any form of internal for cervix check at 20 weeks it's usually just the scan (could be different at other hospitals) The only time when I had anything done in regards to cervix was a sweep and internal during labour never went anywhere near my back passage, I'd be horrified!

Is the sonographer in need of an anatomy lesson?

I had an internal to check cervix length with a dildocam

Thankfully her partner (ie a witness) was with her. I think she should write a letter to the service manager asking for an explanation why the procedure was carried out and what the result was.

When doing any kind of internal examination it's standard protocol to explain the purpose and method. Gaining informed consent is a legal obligation. Unfortunately, in situations like this it's very easy for a patient to assume that the professional is just doing the 'normal and expected thing' and feel too embarrassed to challenge it.

Part of me thinks that if her partner was in the room the sonographer was taking a massive risk to purposely violate her, a) she has a witness to the event and b) he could have been confronted by both of them. So my gut feeling is that he had legitimate reasons, but unfortunately he did to explain them and therefore failed to get informed consent.

I'd be interested to know the position she was in when the probe was inserted. Was she in crook lying, legs apart (normal for TV) or in side lying knees curled up (normal for TR). This may help to determine if the up the bum technique was intentional. If she was in the crook lying position is it possible he accidentally went up the wrong hole?! I mean, that just seems crazy but I guess it's not entirely impossible if he had very little experience or aimed with his eyes closed. (You'd think he'd apologise profusely and reposition though).

Is she in the UK? Lots of European countries do rectal scans routinely in antenatal care and in labour
As others have said- an internal scan would be done to check the cervix length at this stage if there was any concern the cervix might be shortening, 2nd trimester losses etc
At my 20 week scan- I had a trainee sonographer and did have to have an internal scan due to funny position of the uterus. She put the probe in and said 'whoops! have I gone in the right hole!? I said WTF? Do you honestly think I would just lie here and say nothing if you''d just popped it up my bum!!!!'

I am a bit shocked that your friend didn't say anything at the time. Sounds like he made a mistake but she should've said something there and then!

How can a medical professional stick something up the wrong hole by accident? A bum is quite different to a vagina in terms of resistance - and in terms of position.

That sounds like a terrible sonographer.

I had a internal vaginal scan before 12 weeks and the sonographer was very clear in explaining why and how it would happen and also very clear about me being able to withdraw consent for it at any stage.

So I think she definitely needs to follow this up and find out what happened.

I had a friend once go for a sweep. Consultant proceeded to stick her entire hand up her BUM and when friend said, "um, what are you doing?", consultant said, "oops, wrong hole". Friend was horrified, and not only made a complaint but also went private for her birth.

Jesus. If anything tried to put anything up my big pregnant bum they'd be met by a giant unyielding haemorrhoid. So I think I am in the clear for unwarranted anal pokage.

The sonographer checked my cervix at my 20 wk scan because a couple of years ago I had to get abnormal cells removed following a few dodgy smears. Apparently it's routine if you've had that. And your cervix is up your vagina, not the other side so I have no idea what to say about that other than it was the wrong hole...