Hello all. I wanted to share my experience regarding my cervical screenings to date in the hopes that someone can offer some advice.
First one back in 2012 was a mild disaster, but the sample was taken. Long story short: the nurse used a large speculum which caused me a lot of pain considering I've never had sex with a man. Eventually the procedure was done but I bled afterwards and was given a rather odd talk about sex from the nurse. Not exactly a reassuring experience!
Next one three years later was absolutely fine. I was brutally honest about the fact I hadn't had sex with a man (because I'm gay) and the nurse was brilliant. Hardly any discomfort and procedure was successfully done in what felt like 10-15 seconds!
Latest one in December 2018 was a disaster. The nurse just couldn't find my cervix and I was lying on the bed for about 15 mins. After about 6 failed attempts, she decided to refer me to the 'expert' GP. I was left feeling a bit traumatised as it was very painful and all for nothing...
Fast forward to now (May 2019) and I finally arranged the appointment with the 'expert' GP. I did what I knew was right (yet awkward) in telling her I hadn't had sex with a man. This is always difficult because the GP tends to assume I am not at all sexually active which isn't the case (I'm engaged and have been in a 6-year relationship with a woman). So when the GP said 'so you're not sexually active?', I obviously replied with 'well, I'm gay so yes but I've never had sex with a man'. This GP looked rather dazed at this but didn't say anything incriminating. So we proceded to the examination. She told me to say if I was finding it uncomfortable. I tried to withstand the pain for as long as I could but it got to the stage of unbearable discomfort so I said 'sorry, could you please stop for a minute'...thinking she would stop and then ask if I was okay to try again. But no, she immediately stopped, took off her surgical gloves and almost ran away from the examination and said 'right well you're going to have to go to hospital now'.
I was very shaken and upset by this most recent cervical screening. Obviously I can't prove that the GP was in any way homophobic (maybe it's my paranoia) but she was clearly keen to end the examination as soon as possible. (I should also add that this GP is from Nigeria and the GP surgery at large has Christian foundations - they pray together every week and advertise this on their website). I was gutted as I just wanted the screening to be done. I said to her that previous examinations had required several attempts, but she just said I will need pain relief at a hospital. I asked her what kind of pain relief (i.e. how serious are we talking?!) but she just replied with 'I can't say'.
I am really hoping someone else can offer some advice on this situation? Do you think the GP acted inappropriately? Is this normal? Has anyone else had to go to hospital? If so, what happened?!
I appreciate my lack of heterosexual sex makes me a very low risk category and I'm at the stage where I'm considering forgoing the screening altogether. I'm consistenly left feeling embarrassed and ashamed.
