15 Things That Are Worse Than Going To The Gynecologist
Posted by: Wendy Atterberry
Filed in:
sex
10:00AM, Thursday April 23rd 2009
A blogger for the Guardian recently wrote about her experience at the gynecologist, admitting it was her first time getting a pelvic exam in ten years (she was inspired to go after the recent death of reality star Jane Goody, from cervical cancer), and that it would most likely be her last. The problem, she said, is that her doctor wasn’t very “encouraging,” something she thinks all physicians should be, especially with patients who suffer from mental health problems, learning disabilities, and/or a history of sexual abuse. She found it difficult to relax during her exam, but instead of asking her physician for relaxation techniques or getting recommendations for a different physician altogether, this woman is swearing off pelvic exams for the rest of her life—because potentially dying is a better fate than a few minutes of discomfort. Ladies! Don’t be like this woman! Don’t let a little fear stand between you and your health. If you aren’t getting a yearly pelvic exam because you’re afraid or embarrassed, keep in mind that you’re already suffering through plenty of things that are far worse than lying naked in a pair of stirrups for five minutes. After the jump, 15 things that are worse than going to the gynecologist.
- Paying taxes
- Writing cover letters for job applications
- Spending the holidays with your in-laws
- Spending the holidays with your own family
- Going swimsuit shopping
- Going to the dentist
- Getting dumped
- Seeing who eHarmony matched you with this week
- Planning a f**king wedding
- Getting a bad haircut
- Running into an ex you haven’t seen in a while right after getting a bad haircut
- Running into an ex with his beautiful, new girlfriend
- Waiting in line at any of the Trader Joe’s in New York
- Sending an email to the wrong recipient
- Waking up after a wild night of partying and slowly remembering you drunk dialed half the people in your phonebook Thanks in large part to pap test screening, “the cervical cancer death rate declined [in the US] by 74% between 1955 and 1992. This screening procedure can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops. It can also find early cervical cancer in its most curable stage.” While “the death rate from cervical cancer continues to decline by nearly 4% a year, ” regardless, “around the world, cervical cancer is still the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in women.” Even if you’re a virgin, a pelvic exam can detect abnormalities like uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, uterine prolapse, as well yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. So get ye to the gyne! [via Guardian.co.uk, Cancer.org, Mayoclinic.com]
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powplz
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 10:09 am: [report]
I just had my annual this morning! Yes, smear suck ... but so does cancer! Maybe I am really just paranoid about women’s health things - I’ve been going in once a year since I started having sex. I just thought that is what you were supposed to do!
Besides, don’t they need to do a pelvic exam/etc before prescribing any sort of bc? How do these women go so long with no reproductive healthcare? Makes me wonder ...
wawmama
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 10:19 am: [report]
If your uncomfy with your gynie, drop ‘em…there are just too many ways to get referals then to put up with roughness or whatever, you need to be able to tell this person, honestly, what’s been going on in bushville.
shannac02
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 11:35 am: [report]
#16. e-harmony tells you that you’re not compatible with anyone…in the world.
Yup, happened to me. AND that’s when I quit dating! LOL
loveitlala
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 11:43 am: [report]
I just got my yearly one yesterday. Ladies, do you realize the average age for cervical cancer is 45 years?? It’s extremely common nowadays to have it as early as 30 since we are having sex and getting HPV earlier.
But worse than a pelvic exam is having your gyno refuse to burn off a plantar wart… GRRRRR! Not. that. difficult.
resullins
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 11:46 am: [report]
I’ve got one!
I had to take my pet snake to the vet this morning, as he seems to be quite ill… turns out he has a respitory infect from the seasonal weather changes. So now, I get to hold my snake’s head, pry open his mouth, and stick a syringe of antibiotics down his throat… every day for a week. I’d rather go to the gyno all week!
And Joyy… I agree! How do they go so long, I can’t get my BC without going evey year.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 12:07 pm: [report]
@Resullins: My mother does that with our fat ass cat, but instead of meds she squirts Wheat Grass down his throat.
resullins
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 12:18 pm: [report]
Ewww… no animal should have to endure wheat grass! I’m calling the ASPCA!
Yeah, I just feel like I’m going to squish his head… they have pretty strong jaws, hard to pry open! He hasn’t bitten me in the 5 years I’ve had him, and I’d prefer he didn’t start now!
Taurwen
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 02:36 pm: [report]
I’m not living through any of those things…
Sofjna
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 04:06 pm: [report]
@resullins- I had to do the same thing a few years ago with my iguana. And he was in breeding season. He wanted to eat me just for being in the same room as him. Forcing antiiotics down his throat was so much fun.
resullins
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 04:44 pm: [report]
You know, my brother and his college roommate got an iguana once. I don’t know what the hell they were feeding this thing, but he grew to be like ten feet long! They had to take him out for walks in the middle of winter in Boone, NC… in the snow, ice, everything! I think that might be worse than the gyno too… trying to walk your iguana!
They eventually gave him to a zoo… he didn’t fit in the apartment anymore!
saysay
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 10:03 pm: [report]
my weird “friend” from high school had an iguana, and after fattening it up for a few years was gonna eat it. Luckily, he decided against it, but I already had my iguana liberation plan just in case.
GudrunBrangwen
wrote on April 23 2009 @ 11:26 pm: [report]
You forgot about writing personal statements for graduate school applications! (Or any kind of “personal statements,” or anything having to do with applying to graduate school.) Also, going to the big DMV building downtown to pay an overdue traffic ticket would probably qualify.
juliePS
wrote on April 24 2009 @ 05:19 am: [report]
my personal addition to the list would be:
-commuting via train during the summer when the train’s heat is accidentally turned on. It’s way sweatier and more uncomfortable than a pap smear, plus it takes a whole hell of a lot longer.
metricula
wrote on April 24 2009 @ 06:40 am: [report]
I’ve never minded any of my GYNs, but I don’t have any squimy “down there” issues with myself. When I was first starting college, some of my friends were REALLY embarrassed about having to get someone look at their lady bits. It only takes about 15 minutes! Get over it or get a new GYN so you can get over it.
Safety first! Of course, I’m all over getting paps and colpos since I had an abnormal pap so I have little tolerance for women who “just don’t want them” because they’re shy.
amylou
wrote on April 24 2009 @ 12:09 pm: [report]
Obviously the gyno sucks, but cancer sucks more! I was just recently diagnosed with high-grade cervical dysplasia. My gyno found it during a routine exam and now I can deal with it. This stuff only turns into cancer if you don’t get checked out, so do it!!
Tamara
wrote on April 24 2009 @ 11:13 pm: [report]
I have a nerve disorder in my entire pelvic region, and Tuesday I had to go and get diagnosed by a specialist. There were three people in the room staring at my vagina, poking and pushing and prodding. It was the most uncomfortable thing in the world but peace of mind and a chance for recovery outweigh the discomfort. My mother had breast cancer at 28, my sister had ovarian at 17 and again at 20 and the list goes on. I’d rather be safe than sorry.
V for Vixen
wrote on April 26 2009 @ 06:06 pm: [report]
Um, have I just been doing it wrong all these years? I’ve never found my annual exam to be even mildly uncomfortable, let alone invasive or horrifying enough to avoid, on pain of death. Sure, it’s weird having a stranger stick items into your vag and peer in there, but it’s not PAINFUL. Seriously, I’m starting to wonder if I’m getting a different kind of procedure/test done than the rest of y’all…
resullins
wrote on April 26 2009 @ 08:26 pm: [report]
That’s the whole point of this article… to dissuade this woman from being so stupid as to put herself in danger because she’s embarrassed.
shelleatualive
wrote on April 27 2009 @ 09:01 pm: [report]
I’ve found that finding a doctor that you are comfortable with helps a ton much with the comfort of getting an exam.
I have endemitriosis so Im go to the gyno more than once a year and I hate it, but I have just recently found a doctor that makes me feel totally comfortable, and I dread going just a little less.. When a doctor is poking around in your most special place its important for you to trust that doctor totally.. My advice to every girl out there is to switch doctors ASAP if you are totally uncomfortable during your exams.
rsonnack
wrote on April 27 2009 @ 09:12 pm: [report]
#16 - getting ovarian/cervical cancer
#17 - getting breast cancert
#18 - passing on an STD to someone because you weren’t tested and didn’t know you had one
#19 - realizing you could have avoided any of those by just going to the doctor…