BMJ  2006;333:305 (5 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7562.305-a

Letter

Stirrups or no stirrups for routine speculum examinations?

Patient's perspective

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I have had examinations with and without stirrups in the United States and United Kingdom.1 Before my move to the US, smears had always been done without stirrups, and it was just another examination—no more uncomfortable than having teeth drilled.

When I needed a routine cervical smear by my (lovely female) general practitioner in the US, I was in for a shock. I was supine, and stirrups were used (objective). I was flat on my back with my bottom on the edge of a cliff and my legs held up over the edge (subjective). As for choice, she would not take the smear unless I had stirrups.

Back in the UK, skip forward to a referral to a consultant gynaecologist. I had stirrups, and it was great—as far as having a strange man looking at your intimate parts can be positive. I was still supine, but the stirrups . . . [Full text of this article]

Rosemary Slosek, patient

Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1RF rslosek@yahoo.com


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Relevant Article

Improving women's experience during speculum examinations at routine gynaecological visits: randomised clinical trial
Dean A Seehusen, Dawn R Johnson, J Scott Earwood, Sankar N Sethuraman, Jamie Cornali, Kelly Gillespie, Maria Doria, Edwin Farnell, IV, and Jason Lanham
BMJ 2006 333: 171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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