Does a pap smear hurt this much?
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I think it was more anxiety than anything else. I remember when I was getting pap smears and pelvic exams when I was a virgin I used to hate it and have terrible anxiety.
There are things you doctor could do. First, ask him/her to warm the speculum (run it under hot water), believe me, that warmth make a big difference. Also, there's different sizes. There's the long, thin one and the short, wider one. You'll have to figure out which size is more comfortable for you. My doctor also used to let me listen to my headphones during the exam. That way I wasn't so "focused" on what he was doing.
Rest assured, it won't always be this way, especially when you start having sex. You'll get to be an old pro.
Good luck.
No, a pap smear shouldn't hurt. My regular doctor did mine and I thought he was better than my gyno. Your doctor didn't look further into what was causing the pain?
I've had pressure but no pain! You may want to go to a gynocolgist b/c they are a little better trained and also they have smaller speclams! It may be more uncomforatable b/c you are a virgin. But dont settle for not knowing whats causing your pain!
If you had an infection at the time your doctor attempted the exam, that is probably why it was so uncomfortable. I would suggest that you see a gynecologist right away. Were you treated for the infection??
There are different sizes of speculams that could be used, a regular doctor's office may only have the one size available. You should ask them to use the smallest available. You can ask them to coat it with lubricant so insertion is easier.
If you are tense, it will be uncomfortable. It's hard, but you should try to relax, it will make it much better.
See a doctor-there may be other reasons for your discomfort. At age 25, you should be having regular exams.
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