Speculum

[kaycee217]

Nah....We just licked em off and put em back in the drawer....
Just kidding of course. Yeah, the plastic one's are disposable.

Auslit: Why anxious? Never had one before?

There is always a little bit of truth in jokes and comments like that.

Or am I wrong?

 

[pearlsandchanel]

Shudder. I think I must have just had a really dodgy doctor, but after he used the speculum on me, I was scarred for life. It was metal and cold and I felt a bit violated, and not in a good way. Eurgh.

 

[kaycee217]

Shudder. I think I must have just had a really dodgy doctor, but after he used the speculum on me, I was scarred for life. It was metal and cold and I felt a bit violated, and not in a good way. Eurgh.

At the very least, your doctor should have warmed up the speculum!

 

[SweetErika]

Funny story!

To be honest, if I were a woman, I'd insist on plastic speculums. This is because I assume they are one-time use only instruments.

Metal instruments that are used more than once are sterilized by autoclave. With a potential lawsuit around every corner, legit doctors, dentists, body artists, etc., know its in their best interest to either use single-use or sterilized-and-sealed instruments.

Just think how many plastic speculums and even metal instruments are in our landfills when we could simply sterilize and reuse them. We were shocked when my husband went to the ER for stitches and the doctor made a move to toss both the used and unused metal instruments in the suture kit when he was done. As it was, we stopped him and he let us take all of the reusable stuff home for our first aid kit, but it goes to show how easily wasted even metal instruments are in our society.

berwyn that is a hilarious story

this has all made me even more anxious about getting a pap

arggggh

Make sure you share your concerns with the nurse and practitioner doing the exam. Most practitioners do their best to be as gentle and reassuring as possible, but being reminded they need to take extra care with a patient doesn't hurt.

It's not going to matter if you have the gentlest practitioner in the world if you're very tense and anxious, though. Make sure you breathe, relax and keep reassuring yourself that it's likely to be a completely routine exam that doesn't hurt at all. The more relaxed you are, the easier the whole thing is likely to go for you and the professional.

 

[auslit]

Metal instruments that are used more than once are sterilized by autoclave. With a potential lawsuit around every corner, legit doctors, dentists, body artists, etc., know its in their best interest to either use single-use or sterilized-and-sealed instruments.

Just think how many plastic speculums and even metal instruments are in our landfills when we could simply sterilize and reuse them. We were shocked when my husband went to the ER for stitches and the doctor made a move to toss both the used and unused metal instruments in the suture kit when he was done. As it was, we stopped him and he let us take all of the reusable stuff home for our first aid kit, but it goes to show how easily wasted even metal instruments are in our society.


Make sure you share your concerns with the nurse and practitioner doing the exam. Most practitioners do their best to be as gentle and reassuring as possible, but being reminded they need to take extra care with a patient doesn't hurt.

It's not going to matter if you have the gentlest practitioner in the world if you're very tense and anxious, though. Make sure you breathe, relax and keep reassuring yourself that it's likely to be a completely routine exam that doesn't hurt at all. The more relaxed you are, the easier the whole thing is likely to go for you and the professional.

Thanks babe, all good advice.
and yes Berwyn,never had one

 

[otakukitten]

True story - I had an orgasm several years ago while getting my annual exam. I have a tilted uterus, so the doctor was having to adjust the speculum. That was enough to turn me on. When she went to do the swab, I think that was it because I just let it all out.

The nurse came in and I was so mortified I was on the verge of tears. It had been close to a month since I had been divorced and I wasn't getting any satisfaction from my toys.

I'm still embarresed a little when I go back to see her, but I like her and she's patient with me.

 

[Guest]

I had a female friend who told me she used her knowledge of the word to weed out posers. She would ask alleged females in a chat room if they knew what a speculum was.

 

[Berwyn]

There is always a little bit of truth in jokes and comments like that.

Or am I wrong?

Honestly....there were a few specs that I thought should have been put in a nuclear waste program after......

I did have a younger women that seemed VERY into the exam. The nurse helping me kept looking at me like "WTF?" It was a different experience. Actually made me uncomfortable. When I'm doing that kind of exam the brain is in "professional" mode and her reactions were not fitting in that mode.

 

[Berwyn]

Auslit, it's not that bad. Like SweetErika said though, it really helps if you have a gentle provider, you have a good relationship with that provider, and you relax. If you are tensed up it will make it more uncomfortable.

 

[kaycee217]

Honestly....there were a few specs that I thought should have been put in a nuclear waste program after......

I did have a younger women that seemed VERY into the exam. The nurse helping me kept looking at me like "WTF?" It was a different experience. Actually made me uncomfortable. When I'm doing that kind of exam the brain is in "professional" mode and her reactions were not fitting in that mode.

I don't doubt that one bit, considering the stories I've heard.