13 Women Share Their Gyno Horror Stories

Going to the gynecologist is never the most pleasant experience, but some visits are better than others. One day you might leave after an especially informative chat with your doctor, brimming with useful information and “I’m a woman, my body is awesome, hear me roar!” emotions. Other times, not so much. We asked real women to share the details of gyno visits gone wrong, and it’s safe to say that although some are funny and some are scary, they’re all doozies.

“My first gynecologist told me that she wouldn’t give me an IUD unless I was in a committed, monogamous relationship, which I chalk up to slut-shaming. She was also my mom’s gyno and started every visit by asking me if I was ‘behaving.’ I’m pretty sure she also asked my mom if I was ‘behaving.’ My mom says that was all harmless, but I see someone else now. My new gyno is great—except for the surprise colposcopy [a procedure where the doctor uses a special instrument to examine your cervix, vagina, and vulva for signs of disease] I had to have at my last visit. Warn a girl before you start punching her in the cervix!” —Christina T.

“I went to a gynecologist who diagnosed me with cervical dysplasia [abnormal changes to cells on the surface of the cervix]. In addition to getting a laser conization [a type of biopsy], I also wanted to go off hormonal birth control because it interferes with the body shedding the HPV virus. When I told the gynecologist that, she said, ‘Where did you get that, the Internet? You can’t believe everything you read online.’ And then I had to be all, ‘No, actually, I got that from a personal conversation with the head of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) immuno-oncology department, who specializes in cervical cancer. But thanks.” —Kendra C.

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“When I first tried to get an IUD five years ago, the gyno I went to had never heard the acronym STI and said he couldn’t give me an IUD because of my ‘transient’ lifestyle. I was single with no partners but wanted an IUD so I could work in the developing world without worrying about birth control access.” —Christina E.

“I was 18, and my doctor was out of the office, so I went to the other woman doctor in the practice. I’m in a gown, feet in stirrups, when she breezes in and cheerfully asks, ‘Mind if Charlie joins us?’ I look down, and Charlie is her fluffy white dog. In my exam room. Where she is examining my vagina. I was so young, and it wasn’t really a question since Charlie had already taken up residence on my shoes, so I sort of nodded. But I also never went back.” —Vicki S.

“I went to my usual medical group for my annual pelvic exam, so I thought I knew what to expect—but I had a different doctor. Apparently, she did rectal exams during check-up appointments without any explanation or warning. I felt so violated and shaken, I bought myself expensive shoes afterward. I’m still traumatized, and it’s been 12 years.” —Moon C.

“I was a very responsible teenager and asked my first gynecologist how to make losing my virginity—not that it matters, but to my loving boyfriend of over a year—less painful. He wrote my age, 18, on a slip of paper, showed it to me, and said, ‘You are this old. If you were my daughter…’ He went on about how I was too young and essentially said sex is bad. I still have rage strokes when I think about it.” —Andrea L.

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“My experience at Planned Parenthood was weird and bad. First, she was super condescending when figuring out birth control options, then she decided to give me the results of my negative HIV test while I was changing behind the curtain with my pants literally at my ankles. I had to ask her to repeat herself because I couldn’t really hear her. I also had a bite on my thigh that she was very, very judge-y about. She made me promise that the person who inflicted the bite was my boyfriend, loved me, and would never bite me again. All these things happened to be true, but it was very weird and uncomfortable. The bite was consensual and also kind of a joke, which was obviously hard to explain. Then she forgot that she had already given me my HIV results and freaked out about looking them up again.” —Teresa K.

“My mother took me to the gynecologist for the first time in my teens and forgot to tell me the gynecologist was also my old girl scout troop leader.” —Clara Y.

“I once had a gynecologist give me a lecture in the middle of a pelvic exam on the evils of Obamacare—immediately before giving me several months of free birth control because I’d just gotten laid off. There was no hint of cognitive dissonance.” —Melanie S.

“In college, I accidentally went to one of those pro-life centers masquerading as a women’s clinic. I had sex for the first time after swimming and got bacteria vaginosis. This fake clinic offered an STD test, which I did, of course. They told me that I had herpes simplex 1 and tried to convince me that I couldn’t have sex with it even when I don’t have a cold sore. Then they showed me abortion pictures. I cried to my mom and never went back again. There’s a lot that’s been written about these fake clinics already, and they’re all horrifying.” —Julia L.

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“I had just finished a particularly messy period of my life—studying abroad in the U.K./attempting to ‘find myself’/ruining everything. I was finally growing up and found a guy I really liked. We started dating seriously, so I did the standard gyno check-up: Birth control, STD test. She told me I would get a call within two weeks if my test came back positive but otherwise to assume it was negative. A month passed; we decided to drop the condoms because birth control and presumed lack of STDs. My boyfriend goes to get an unrelated check-up and somehow he has developed chlamydia. I call my doctor in a panic, assuming I got it from him and need to get re-tested. He’s freaking out. I’m freaking out. My doctor says she’ll get back to me ASAP. And when she does? She says, ‘Oh, oops. I forgot to call you about your test results! They’ve been sitting on my desk for three weeks!’ In short: Always call to check on your results.” —Clarissa R.

“I was about 24 and had had painful sex before. I’d also been to the gyno a few times but was always in excruciating pain to the point of tears each time. There’s trauma history there—long story. I saw a woman and had explained this to her before we started. She was clearly in a rush, so she kind of waved it away and got started. I cried out when she inserted the speculum, and she told me to grow up. She said, ‘You’re an adult, and you’re fine, it’ll be over in a few minutes.’ I cried in pain, and she was utterly unsympathetic. I didn’t go to the gyno again for something like six or seven years after that because I was so traumatized.” —Eliza T.

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“Years ago, I went to a gynecologist who was super rough with the speculum and I nicely—nicer than I should have been considering how painful it was—asked her to be a little more gentle. She snapped at me and said, ‘Well, it doesn’t hurt me, so it shouldn’t hurt you.’ Like, ‘No sh*t, lady, you’re not the one with a metal clamp in your vagina—of course it’s not hurting you.’” —Natalie C.