They should have numbed you. The cervix is (as you have experienced) very nerve rich...

Colposcopy and LEEP are generally rather more painful. It's not a bigger speculum, but it's a more painful procedure (but totes worth it, hope you're all OK now.) A pap is just a wee scrape, but a LEEP is a full on removal of a whole layer of cells.

Depends what it is. Routine smear? A tad undignified, but fine. I had an IUD put in as a nulliparoud female and that smarted a bit. But I have had two very unpleasant experiences..once with a rather "angry" doc and one with a med student (forgiven, she was just learning.) SOme poeple have things like vaginismus…

Annually? Here in Europe its every 3 years...

Yes, if you have vaginismus then they can be very painful. there are therapies that can help though.

If you find them that unpleasant (and no one enjoys them) then perhaps you should ask for a mild relaxant? However, If you have a lot of issues actually inserting the speculum (i.e actual physical block/extreme pain, not just "urgh") you may have a form of vaginismus, which can be quite painful. If that's the case,…

Well.. I'm a scientist and I totally am fine with "yeah, wherever you have to poke, poke." I'm quite relaxed about procedures ( I have a genetic disorder that requires frequent needles/intervention so I'm kinda chilled about whatever..) Most pap smears are undignified but totally fine...

No... you arch an eyebrow and give them a witty but ultimately devastating critique on why this Is A Bad Thing.

Yup, yup I totally agree. And I kind of feel that we (as ladeez) need to hold oursleves to a higher standard, which of course is an erroneous way of thinking, we shouldn't... but ...

Person #3. Let me say one thing to you first. "Be kind to yourself." Actually, let me say two things to you, and add "this too shall pass."

Yup. it's not even the expense that's the issue...it's about being honest with each other. I understand that families might want balance, but if you desparately want a girl (or boy) but the answer is not to keep blindly trying and having kids you can't afford. That's a recipe for marital discord :( It's surely better…

she needs to take her partners wishes into account, that is not healthy. they could do pre implantation sex determination if its that important. it's possible he just has a prepoderance of y bearing sperm!

Awful. And you just know this will be used to propagate the "bitches be crazy" idea. This kind of crap does not help us as feminists! If you're in a happy, settled couple then it's a JOINT descicion to have another (or a first) baby. (of course I know that accidents happen and of course in that case the issue is…

noooooo it isn't. A baby takes two to make and both those two need to be in on it. I am genuinely shocked that people would do this. This gives ammunition to the "ladies be crazy" brigade. Just not OK.

I love shoes. I love heels, I love wedges. But I also love my clunky hill running shoes, and my ugly sandals. Becuase in the end, shoes have a purpose. They're for feeling taller in, feeling sexy in, or for running up mountains in. Or for slipping into diving fins. Or for hiking. Or for jogging.

Wow. Don't worry too much about the radiation (it's way, way less harmful than is depicted unless you ingest an actual particle of contaminated stuff..)

Because you are utterly fabulous, my dear. Tall, gorgeous and intruiging. As my father once said to me "Everyone wants to be normal, but noone wants to be ordinary...think about that."

Apparently it is. I now live in Sweden and no one bats an eyelid, but when I lived in the UK, I was apparently target for abuse. Purely because I was pale, freckly and a bit ginge. I live din Scotland (more civilised) and it wasn't an issue, but ooooft. Kids can be cruel.

Wow. You had a potentially nasty but in the end very manageable and well managed situation. (you rock...you have my absolutle admiration)

Yup...paywall journals SUCK.