"I feel very uncomfortable and upset about the experience."

After 4 smear tests where I was told there were not enough cells for testing or there was a possibility of abnormal cells I was sent for a colposcopy.

I had never had anything like this before and was very nervous. I always found smear tests very painful and my regular nurse was very good at helping with this and being patient and understanding 

I arrived at the clinic and was taken through to the treatment room and spoke with the doctor. They asked me questions from a form about when my last period was and other health issues. I told them I was having fainting spells from low iron and I was on tablets for this. I asked them if there was any pain relief for the procedure because I always found smears painful. They said no pain relief was needed as the procedure was painless. I felt a little unsettled by how they dismissed me and as a male doctor I felt they couldn’t possibly know that for sure. I was trying to say that I found regular smears painful so I was worried about this being worse. 

The nurse that was in the room was nice and kept talking to me to distract me. The doctor was professional but didn’t talk to me and relied on the nurse to anticipate what they did next to tell me something might cause discomfort. No one told me what was happening really, I would have preferred more narration of what they were doing inside me as they did it.

I felt very uncomfortable and it was painful. The doctor then took two punch biopsies but didn’t tell me it was about to happen - I just felt a big jolt of pain inside me and I jumped and yelped. The nurse apologised and said that they should have said that a pinch was coming 

It wasn’t a pinch - I know what a punch biopsy does and removing a piece of tissue from me without any kind of pain relief is more than a pinch

The doctor then took another biopsy which was as painful as the first

By this time I was squirming and sweating from discomfort and was told it wouldn’t be much longer. The doctor then said they would swab with a chemical to stop bleeding. This also really hurt and felt like burning

Eventually it was done and I was told biopsy results would be sent by letter in 8 weeks. Then the doctor left me with the nurse. The nurse was nice and told me to expect bleeding for a few days but to refer to a leaflet for anything else. 

Then I got dressed and left. I felt incredibly vulnerable and disoriented from the experience. I was in a lot of pain and 3 days later I am still in a lot of pain with discharge and bleeding. The leaflet they gave me tells me next to nothing and everything online is contradicting. The leaflet says the procedure is uncomfortable but not painful, I don’t believe this is true for the majority of women who experience this 

I understand the immense pressure the NHS is under and how hard everyone is working, but a few words of reassurance from a doctor help a lot - especially for such an intimate and invasive procedure on a young woman who hasn’t ever experienced that before. I haven’t had children and the whole experience of being in such a vulnerable position with a doctor was scary. I couldn’t believe they said it wasn’t painful and that pain relief wasn’t necessary at all , even if that’s what the studies show, they should say that and not act like they knew personally because they could never understand it 

I feel very uncomfortable and upset about the whole experience. If I am referred for one in the future I don’t want to go and experience that again.