Dd (19) was refused transvaginal ultrasound

[seventyfivepercent]

Dd, now 19, has had incredibly painful periods since they started at age 13. For a few days each month she is doubled over with pain, vomiting and unable to go about day to day life.

The rest of the time she is constantly exhausted with regular headaches. Blood tests have shown she is anaemic and has inflammation. The GP doesn't seem to think the tiredness, headaches and blood results are connected to the period pain.

After years of going back and forth and being swapped from one contraceptive pill to another to try and ease the pain they finally agreed to send her for a transvaginal ultrasound, Dd was so relieved they were finally taking her seriously.

When Dd got to her appointment they refused to do the transvaginal ultrasound due to her being a virgin, and would only do an external ultrasound, this showed an enlarged ovary but wasn't clear enough to see properly. The sonographer actually said they don't like to do internal ultrasounds on virgins as they don't want that to be their first experience! I was gobsmacked and having looked into it this goes against guidelines. Yes, they should explain it might be a bit painful or uncomfortable, but the decision to proceed or not should have been Dds.

Now at her follow up GP appointment they've gone back to saying it's all normal and she just needs to keep taking he contraceptive pill, she's so fed up with being fobbed off.

I'm suspecting endometriosis, but the GP said she doesn't have the symptoms. Has anyone had success demanding an endometriosis laparoscopy, or do we have to resort to going private? I should add, I haven't been to any of these latest appointments as Dd is now away at Uni seeing her local GP, she's just asking me for help as to what to do next.

Thanks for any advice!

Sorry that was longer than expected!

I’m so sorry! How disappointing. Can you do a complaint via PALS? Or perhaps ask for a second opinion?

I've told her to contact the surgery and ask for a referral to a specialist, so will see how they respond.

my 20 yo dd was referred for the same and was only given an abdo USS not trans vaginal. She’s not a virgin and has had a huge ovarian cyst with torsion when only 13! I can’t believe how shit doctors are with gynae problems

As soon as i read the first few symptoms I thought endometriosis.
Can you switch GP? A lot dont take these things seriously at all. They just think we are being dramatic.
I hope you get someone to take her seriously.

It makes me quite angry.

This is what I don't understand, I thought she had typical endometriosis symptoms, but then the GP says she doesn't have any symptoms, I'm so confused.

That’s outrageous! Your poor DD.
I’ve had a tranvaginal ultrasound and it’s nothing at all like sex! The probe is hardly bigger than a tampon.
Her “first experience” is a disgusting thing to say, I would actually be complaining about that.
Was is a male or female sonographer?

Can you afford to see a private gynaecologist?

It was a male. I was quite shocked, I've also had a couple of transvaginal ultrasounds and they weren't even slightly uncomfortable, and Dd does use tampons!

I'm so sorry for your daughter. The NHS IMHO is fundamentally mysogistic. I have a plethora of examples being a woman approaching 50 with aunts, sisters and daughters. It's vile. I'd take this further. It's outrageous OP

It’s weird that they even mentioned sex… pretty gross if the sonographer is relating scanning women with shagging them.

Yes, Dd presumed they were asking in relation to potential STDs, but no 😡

@user2848502016 fortunately we can afford private, but so wrong that we should have to, and I am cross on behalf of those women who don't have that choice. Having said that, I've never used private healthcare and don't really know where to start!

That's weird. My 19 year old DD has the same symptoms and was strongly pressed to agree to a TV ultrasound - she refused point blank and got an abdominal one with a lot of shoulder shrugging as it wouldn't be as useful and might be a waste of time - which it was. Six months later she agreed to a TV one, which was very tough and uncomfortable and done by a man (they wanted a male student in to watch too, er no) and we are waiting for results from that.

So it varies from trust to trust.

It should be the same guidelines for all, it's such a lottery. I hope your Dd gets the treatment she needs.

He sounds like a creep in plain sight and should be dealt with ...yikes virginity is absolutely irrelevant when you need medical tests....unbelievable

So using a tampon ruins women’s first sexual experience? Ffs I can’t believe how shit this response is.

This is how I feel too, I can get private healthcare through work, taken directly from my salary. I haven’t paid for it before because I’ve never needed to but I know I would be taking it out if any of the family had any serious health issues.
So wrong that anyone has to though

You can refuse students. I hope there was a female member of staff present

Your daughters symptoms sound exactly like my daughter. She’s 22 and at uni and suffered since aged 13 too.

she was fobbed off over the years with the pill. Eventually paid for a private consultation with a gynaecologist who specialised in endo. He said he was 99% certain she had it from the symptoms you described. We/she couldn’t then afford the £10k laparoscopy to find it, so went on the nhs waiting list.

had the op. Couldn’t find it. But the important part is - that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have it. It means they’ve not found it.

she did so much research herself and almost had to go in to each appointment asking for what she wanted, fighting for it.

in the end she’s been referred to the chronic pelvic pain management clinic. They’ve classed her as having chronic pelvic pain (which endo comes under).

in the mean time she’s agreed to try the coil. It has helped a bit. Her pain is now shorter in length, still as painful, so she’s still taking very strong painkillers. The bleeding isn’t as heavy or as long.

her experience hasn’t been pleasant and it’s been a fight every way!

I know you don't want to go private but it may be the best thing for your DD, the GP has obviously made their decision and probably won't budge unless you kick up a huge fuss, and will justify their stance based on the ultrasound result. There's a lot of misogyny in medicine, women's acute or chronic pain is universally dismissed as 'not that bad' and they are told to manage with painkillers and/or contraception. If these don't work then there's just a shrug of the shoulders.
Then years later if the woman pushes and pushes, she may eventually get a diagnosis that was obvious from the outset such as endometriosis.
I worry for the NHS, especially it's organisation.
In other countries (eg Romania) women go to a gynaecologist for smears, sexual health screening and contraception plus any gynae issues. Here it's so spread out it's almost unworkable.
If you do consider private an internet search will show private gynae services near you and you should be able to get an idea of costs.

They tend to try to diagnose endo from an MRI these days rather than a laparoscopy. Having had a laser laparoscopy (laser lap and dye) I would have much preferred an MRI. There are massive risks of adhesions with any abdominal surgery. I was diagnosed 24 years ago. I can't believe how much of a struggle it still is these days to get referred and get a reason for horrific pain.

My main endo symptoms are daily chronic fatigue, bad pain on ovulation, horrific period pain and generally a low level pain every day, back, uterus sort of like mild period pain griping. I have never had painful sex probably due to where my endo deposits are.

If you can pay to go private get an MRI done and read by an endo specialist. I follow an endo surgeon on TikTok who constantly sees MRI stills that clearly show a massive endo cyst that is misdiagnosed as something else. They are told they are clear when they are not. We had an private MRI for something a couple of years ago and it cost £1k which included the consultant.

If you do go back to the GP print off the symptoms for endo it might also be adenomyosis (similar to endo but inside the womb lining) you clearly need to fight for her. It is completely shit.

@sarahdu sorry your daughter has had such an awful time.

Thank you @Pudmyboy

Complain, to your ICB about your GP and to the hospital about the sonography. This is awful. Your poor DD has been ill for years and it is not normal and not just a fact of life.

fgs. Sounds like fucking male ignorance as usual. Furious on your daughter’s behalf, check the nice guidelines. I’m sure he’s not following them that doesn’t sound right at all.