By Alejandrina Avila, Feb. 18, 2025
At age 24, I finally experienced the so-called wonders of a pap test, only to be met with cold indifferences and mean-girl behavior from my gynecologist and her staff.
This is not a singular experience. Many women have reported feeling unheard, belittled or even mistreated in gynecological offices. Whether it is being dismissed, denied proper pain management or fearing inappropriate behavior, gynecological care is in dire need of change.
As someone with endometriosis, a condition that causes debilitating cramps, other painful symptoms and requires treatment, I first resorted to birth control at 21. But by 24, my symptoms had worsened. My gynecologist recommended an IUD to help manage the pain. A condition that causes debilitating cramps, other painful symptoms and requires treatment, I first resorted to birth control at 21.
Before getting the IUD, I was also told I need a biopsy due to “possible cancer cells.” Within a single week, I was scheduled for both procedures, which were two invasive, painful experiences. When I voiced my concerns, the gynecologist reassured me, saying I would feel only a “slight pinch.” It was more like a full body jolt of pain, that to this day I can feel it when describing my experience, no one prepared me for it. The way medical processionals downplay pain especially for procedures affecting women is frustrating and dismissive.
For years, my primary doctor and I postponed my Pap test because I was not sexually active. A Pap test, conducted inside the vaginal walls followed by a brush and a spatula to collect cervical cells. The speculum, which I can only describe as resembling a duck beak, is inserted, and expanded, causing immense pressure.
As I laid on the examination table, fully exposed, I felt a painful pressure, like a balloon inflating inside me followed by an excruciating ripping sensation. I screamed. Tears streamed down my face as I was teetering on the edge of a panic attack.
My gynecologist simply told me to get dressed afterward, and even now, I still remember the force applied to me at that moment.
I was lucky to have my mother with me that day. She immediately noticed my cold sweat and distress, but instead of acknowledging my pain, my doctor simply recommended a surgical biopsy, along with an IUD insertion.
Up until the biopsy incident, I had trusted my gynecologist. When I requested numbing gel before the procedure, her nurse coldly responded, “You’re lucky she even used gel to insert the speculum.” It was shocking to me that such a painful procedure required no anesthesia.
Meanwhile, men are given anesthesia for something as routine as a vasectomy. While women’s pain is often downplayed or dismissed. Studies support this inequality according to Duke Health found that one in five women felt ignored or dismissive by a health care provider, compared to only 14% of men. In pain management and cardiac care, women often receive different, less effective treatment, leading to worse health outcomes. This bias is not intentional, but it is rooted in outdated medical practices that historically prioritized male biology in research.
Patients should be fully informed about what to expect during exams, rather than being reassured with dismissive phrases like “a slight pinch.” According to the Sanitas Medical Center, “In general, a pap smear is painless.”
I spoke with Alyssa Nicole, a graphic design student, about her thoughts on gynecological care. While she has not yet had a Pap test, she is aware of the concerns many women face.
“I have never had a Pap test, but I have heard so many horror stories about women being dismissed by doctors,” Nicole said. “Before losing my insurance, I always sought out female doctors because it felt safer. The idea of going to a gynecologist scares me. Not just because of the tools, but because I worry about not being taken seriously.”
Patients deserve to be heard; pain should not be ignored and no one should leave the doctor’s office feeling traumatized. While the burden should not fall on patients to fight for proper care, there are ways to advocate for yourself.
Feature image by Connor Lālea Hampton
