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Fear of Gynecological Exam
Over 20 years ago, when I was a teenager, my mother forced me to have an abortion. It was my first visit to the gynecologist. I haven't been to the gyn in over 10 years because just being there produces severe panic attacks, and sometimes self-injurious behavior. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? I know that nobody LIKES going, but now I am having abnormal bleeding between periods and pelvic pain and I just can't bring myself to go. Tried therapy...didn't work. So what now?
I was forced by my mother to have a pelvic exam and pap smear and breast exam when i was 14 by our family doctor, she refused to go in with me nor did she explaine what was going to happen. I was shocked and sick when the male doctor forced my leg's apart! Then all the stuff afterward's? Oh my God. I got pregnant at 16 and the doctor i was forced to go to did lengthy rectal exams EVRY time i had to go in... monthly. He also forced my husband to drop trowe and bend over, squat, push out, all with his finger in his anus and a hand on his shoulder. Horrible! I'm shaking thinking about it. The next one was a a clinic for birth control where the female doctor left me on the table with my feet in stirrups, leg's hanging open, to answer the phone that the nurse who walked in, no knock, handed her. Then she pinched and twisted both of my nipples, i was to motified to move. Now at 50 i CAN NOT be internaly examened. I had a hysterctomy at 38 with a cervix removal and my female doctor still try's to insist she just wants to look, for what?!? She comes up with all kinds of reasons... no go. I'm relieved that i'm not alone. Same with breast exam's, no. I just cant be fondled like that, it feel's like legal rape! Before i cant sleep for a week, after i cry for day's. My life changed a little today being given all this information and seeing all of you brave women, i feel better, thank you. And I will never do anything that makes me uncompfortable again.
Omg! you guys have no idea how much better this makes me feel to know that there are so many other women that go through this. I've been going to an ob/gyn since I first started my period when I was 12. I had irregular bleeding and needed to be put on birth control to control it. My first ob/gyn tried to do a pelvic exam everytime I went until he retired when I was 19 and I had to go to a new doctor. He could never get one. It was always too painful. My second doctor was understanding and told me I didn't have to get a pap smear done until I was 21. When I went in for my yearly visit after I turned 21 I tried to let her do one. The pain was worse than I remembered and I screamed bloody murder and started crying. I recently went back for anther yearly visit. My first one since the last one and was so scared I was shaking and couldn't stop crying. My doctor let it slide this time because she said the last thing she wants to do is tramautize me to the point where I don't come in ever again. My mom asked the doctor if she would sedate me, but she said she would rather not to do that. Little does she know it is probably the only way I will ever allow her to do an exam on me.
I have talked to my mom, my sister, and my friends about it and none of them have experienced anything like this. Some of them had even told me that they thought I was overreacting. I wish they could feel the pain for me somehow so they would understand. It feel so good to find people that actually understands my pain.
I have talked to my mom, my sister, and my friends about it and none of them have experienced anything like this. Some of them had even told me that they thought I was overreacting. I wish they could feel the pain for me somehow so they would understand. It feel so good to find people that actually understands my pain.
I hate reading these accounts because it's not only unnecessary, it's harmful. The routine pelvic exam is of poor clinical value and exposes you to risk, just the fact you were distressed by the experience is bad enough. Routine breast exam...no evidence they help, but they lead to biopsies. Pap tests are an option for sexually active women, but evidence shows they don't change the incidence or death rate in those under 30. Pap testing a 21 year old virgin is medical misconduct in my opinion...risk for no benefit. Even a sexually active 21 year old should not be tested. Many countries only test sexually active women at 25 or 30.
The evidence has moved on and now it's clear the only women who should be offered pap testing are the 5% who are HPV positive at age 30...those negative can be offered infrequent HPV testing or they could test themselves using the Delphi Screener. (being used in The Netherlands, Singapore and elsewhere)
You put yourself through an ordeal for no benefit...far from protecting your health, these exams cause physical and emotional damage. I think it's cruel to mislead women in this way.
The evidence has moved on and now it's clear the only women who should be offered pap testing are the 5% who are HPV positive at age 30...those negative can be offered infrequent HPV testing or they could test themselves using the Delphi Screener. (being used in The Netherlands, Singapore and elsewhere)
You put yourself through an ordeal for no benefit...far from protecting your health, these exams cause physical and emotional damage. I think it's cruel to mislead women in this way.
I recently had my first gyno visit. As a 21y/o virgin I was nervous about the appt in general. I went in & met my gyn and he was very nice and professional, and I was okay as far as anxiety at this point thinking maybe its not so bad. The breast exam was first and that didn't really bother me a bit. The he put my feet in the stirrups and I got a tincy bit more nervous. But when he touched me i completely freaked. :( I started to cry, the nurse just tried to calm me. Nothing hurt. Nothing at all. I mean, I have never been touched in that area by anyone, and it is terrifying for me to even think about it. I really doubt that I ever go back until I am with child. :( Completely mortifying!!!!!
Dutch women are already using the Delphi Screener, the self sample HPV device. HPV negative women don't need pap tests, biopsies or treatments - they are not at risk from this cancer. The Dutch have a 7 pap test program, 5 yearly from 30, but will shortly move to 5 hrHPV primary triage tests offered at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and ONLY those positive will be offered a 5 yearly pap test. Only 5% of women are HPV positive by age 40. Those negative can follow the HPV program or if monogamous or no longer sexually active can forget all testing and revisit the subject if their risk profile changes. This will greatly reduce pap testing, over-treatment, excess biopsies and is more likely to prevent these rare cancers. The pap test misses 50% of adenocarcinoma and at least 25% of squamous cell. Routine breast and pelvic exams are not evidence based, are of poor clinical value and are more likely to harm you. Our doctors don't recommend them in symptom-free women. Most women having pap tests and potentially damaging biopsies and treatments are not even at risk from this rare cancer - they're HPV negative. Pap testing has created a highly lucrative industry in over-treatment and so many will not welcome HPV primary triage testing or a self-test option like the Delphi Screener....women will have to fight for access especially in Australia and the States were serious over-screening and over-treatment occurs and there is no real scrutiny of the programs/testing.
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