Lindsay
Redditor r/Ancient-Abs caused a viral discussion about the lack of pain medication in gynecological procedures.
In the subreddt r/TwoXChromosomes, the user asked:
“Why are many gynecological procedures done without pain medicine?”
In the body, the Reddit user wants to know why there is discrimination when it comes to reproductive organs.
If someone were to take a biopsy of the scrotum, you sure as hell know they would numb the area. Hell, often they put numbing medicine in the shaft of male penises for just inserting a foley! The cervix has sensation. Why are cervical biopsies taken without numbing? Why are endometrial biopsies taken without numbing medicine? Why are IUDs inserted without numbing?
In order to spark change, the redditor suggested a letter-writing campaign to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists about the hypocritical health standard that is traumatizing patients.
I would love to start a letter writing campaign to ACOG and give them a piece of my mind.
acog.org
Anyone else willing to join?
For users unsure of what to write, a letter template is included in the post:
Send these letters to:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists PO Box 96920, Washington, DC 20024-9998
Dear American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
I am writing you with the voices of the many women who receive care at your hands every year to deliver a critical message:
Your procedures hurt. It is not just a pinch or a moment. It is horrifically painful and tortuous. It is not over in a short time, many women experience pain afterwards.
No I am not overreacting. No I am not dramatic. The pain is real. Don’t ask why I am crying. I am crying because it hurts. It hurts horrifically.
The cervix has nerve endings. Please stop telling patients that it doesn’t. Please stop telling us it doesn’t hurt that bad. It hurts that bad.
You might look back and think that what was done in the past in the world of gynecology and obstetrics was barbaric, but I am here to tell you, what you continue to do to women is barbaric.
Reduction of cost for an individual doctor in a procedure is not a justification for torturing women. I don’t care if it is an inconvenience to you. Provide me with the numbing injections or pain relief if you are going to inflict pain on MY body should be the bare minimum expectation for quality care for women.
You would never do a scrotal biopsy without numbing medication. Even foley insertions in men often get lidocaine jelly. So, WHY do you take biopsies from my cervix and uterus without numbing it first? If you can’t numb it, then why are those procedures done on awake women? Why do you use horrific hooks to grab my cervix and shove dilators in them to then put in an IUD. I am not the only one who screams out in pain or vomits or passes out. How long do you intend to gaslight us?
Having gone through childbirth before is not a reason for you to tell me to toughen up or that I should be able to “handle this pain”. I shouldn’t be required to handle anything. You would never expect a man to go through this, why are you making women?
I don’t want to hear your excuses anymore. I want to be treated with respect and dignity. Please change the way you practice medicine. Provide appropriate numbing and pain relief for your procedures. Frankly, it is medical malpractice if you don’t.
End the torture of women.
The topic opened up an opportunity for people to not only share their own experiences, but learn they are not alone.
We’ve rounded up 20 examples people shared from the thread to show how much pain people are in when they go through these procedures.
Please note, these are very triggering for anyone who has experienced medical trauma.
1.
I started bleeding when pregnant with my first and went to see my OBGYN at the hospital. She looked and said there were polyps on my cervix. She then told me to just hold the nurses hand and pick a spot on the ceiling and she’ll cut them out real quick.
I honestly never thought to ask for any kind of pain meds for any procedure like this before. WTF is wrong with me and other women? We’ve been so brainwashed to believe that “it’s just a pinch” and now drive home and go make dinner. I’m a medical professional and had to read a thread on Reddit to realize I need to advocate for myself and I don’t need to be in pain during gyno procedures. WTF
2.
I had a cervical biopsy when I was 18 and the doc was like, “you’ll feel just a pinch”. And then I felt, well a chunk of my cervix cut out and screamed. He was like, “shhh”. So then I cried quietly and he looked up at me and said, “why are you crying? There are no nerve ending on the cervix, I know you aren’t actually feeling pain”.
The was literal decades ago. I had hoped things had changed for women since then. Good to hear that old asshole doc is still the norm. Cool. Real cool.
3.
I had a uterine and cervical biopsy and I was full on awake for it. Worst experience of my life. I will never get over being told it isn’t that bad when I asked about numbing meds. Fuck that nurse.
4.
I’ve actually pondered this for years. When I had my first baby I was very tiny and the kiddo was a big bouncing boy. I got snapped at by the first nurse for making a sound. This was long before maternity pain relief was really a thing. We got gas and pethidine/demerol.
Fast forward to my then husband and his vasectomy, done about 8 weeks after my 4th baby. During 15 hours of labour I had gas. For the excruciating pain after I got OTC pain killers. For the raw, cracked bleeding nipples I was told “you know how it goes, they’ll toughen up in a couple of weeks (of breastfeeding).
He was given Valium to take the night before, another one for that morning and then pain relief during the 5 minute procedure. He was given another script for afterwards and told to go easy for a few days.
Are women seen as tough, or subhuman?
5.
“it’s not much worse than a pap smear” is what they told me before my colposcopy and I’m pretty sure it’s the biggest and most brazen lie I’ve ever been told.
6.
I had a cervical biopsy. I was told there were no nerves in the cervix and at the worst I would have some mild cramps for a couple of minutes, like period cramps. This was the biggest lie I have ever experienced. I will never do one again without some sort of anesthesia. It was hands down the most painful experience of my life.
If your doctor tries to tell you it won’t hurt, don’t believe it and insist on anesthesia. If they won’t provide it, find a different doctor.
7.
My doctor gave me a cervix softener pill to use before my IUD was put in and was told to take ibuprofen or something stronger if I usually experience bad cramps. When i told my friend that, she was livid because she wasn’t aware there was anything to make it go in easier and with less pain. She passed out on the table with the pain of hers being inserted.
8.
I work in a medical office and women pass out all the time after IUD placements. I remember how hot heavy crampy and panicky the insertion was thankfully mine was fast and I didn’t pass out but I felt so weird the whole day and felt shaky. Getting it out was TRAUMATIC. The strings were not outside the cervix so a radiologist did an ultrasound while doctor dug around in my uterus trying to grab the strings and she couldn’t get them and i said stop and my ob didn’t right away so i pushed everyone off me and had a panic attack. Then i had to come back and get a scope to get it out and they gave me a Valium and it was like a walk in the park. Everyone. Should. Get. A. VALIUM.
9.
I once had to get a cervix related procedure done and had to call around to several hospitals before I found one that had an IV drip of Vicodin and fentanyl as a standard for that procedure. It baffled me that 9/10 had nothing, zero, and one single place was like. Yeah bitch you’ll need a FENTANYL drip to get through this. Like….. wtf is the disconnect.
10.
“Why can’t the speculum be warmed?”
Gotta be honest, I chuckled at this because I’ve thought that so many time! My current GYNO is fantastic and very empathetic towards his patients. At my last visit, he had an intern with him and he told the intern to be mindful of the discomfort of a cold speculum. I was impressed by that considering he doesn’t have a vagina! But he’s been great with all my care the last 5 years. Very thankful for that.
11.
I argued with a doctor who told me that there would be no pain management for my colposcopy – after I showed up for it. His reasoning was that “it was only a 5-10 minute procedure” and I could have some ibuprofen(!) afterwards. When I told him that vasectomies were a 5-10 minute procedure too but that I bet if he were having one he’d want some anesthetic for his balls he straight up walked out on me.
12.
I had a colposcopy last year. Absolutely horrifying. When I sat up after the procedure, I was sobbing. The doctor acted shocked that it could’ve hurt, and the only thing I got for the pain was a small bottle of water before they pointed me out of the office.
When I got home I read this: “The procedure was developed by the German physician Hans Hinselmann, with help from Eduard Wirths.[2][3] The development of colposcopy involved experimentation on Jewish inmates from Auschwitz.”
I’m still furious.
13.
It’s even more infuriating when you try and relay the horror of it to your female family members and they NORMALIZE it telling you about their similar horrible experiences and just tell you to suck it up. They tell you it’s part of life and what women go through every other woman does, so don’t complain. Fudge that! It’s only normal because no one is speaking up. I refuse to get an IUD. My mother bled for a whole year before they did something. My sister felt pain that made her hate life for 4 months. No pain management given. My aunt said it got STUCK once when removing it. I’m like…wth. Nope. Not for me. I hate pain.
14.
I had a procedure done a few months ago where they had to tear through my cervix to fill my uterus with fluid, something to do with fertility issues. The pain was unbearable and I felt violated. I cried so hard and was furious they would let me go through that without any anesthesia or pain reliever. How is this so normal?
15.
I had both an HSG as well as a saline ultrasound and I am absolutely blown away that a dr can do that procedure hundreds of times a year and see hundreds of women crying, sweating, writhing in pain and passing out yet no form of anesthesia is ever offered. It’s fucking cruelty. They literally push a tube through your cervix. Why would they ever think this would be ok to do without pain control? I have a high pain tolerance and I was sweating profusely and extremely nauseous. I have never needed a few minutes before getting up but I did that time. That was with 800mg taken beforehand. That I learned I should take from the Internet. Not my dr, who never said a word about needing pain medication.
16.
I had an iud removal, uterine biopsy, and a new iud implanted on the same day. I almost passed out on the freeway home. I had no idea I wouldn’t be numb, so I went by myself with no ride. Never again.
17.
I’ll join in. The last time I had an endometrial biopsy attempted on me (it was my 3rd one, the 1st two were done successfully, but painfully), I could not handle it and asked to doctor to stop. I had to ask her again to stop because she ignored my first try. She became visibly agitated and started slamming things around the room, ripping her gloves off and mumbling that this was a waste of her time. This was nearly 10 yrs ago and I have not been to a gynecologist since. Not only did she hurt me, she shamed me for being intolerant to the pain.
18.
The worst is that since I’ve been an adult I’ve only had female gynos and they’ve ALL dismissed my pain. A colposcopy almost caused me to pass out. I thought I temporarily died during my iud insertion. I AM EXTRA SENSITIVE DOWN THERE. Why don’t they take it seriously? They act as though I’m dramatic or an anomaly. But obviously I (and all of us here) am not.
BRING ON THE PAINKILLERS I SAY!
19.
Another thing they don’t numb women for – at least they didn’t for me – surgical abortion. That was some of the worst pain I’ve experienced and all they gave me was an ativan for anxiety. I felt like it was partly to punish me/women for getting abortions… but then I heard about other women that went under for theirs! I imagine it probably depends on how far along you are but yeah
20.
I was shaking from the pain of an iud insertion 5 years ago. I was cramping so hard I couldn’t walk and had to have my husband come get me. They let me lay in the room for 15 minutes because I was bawling. They told me it never hurts and it was just me. I actually believed them and feel so dumb right now.
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