The scraping!!! (I'm cringing)!!!!

All of the above! (Except the one that says it's a good time.)

I voted 'being told to "scootch forward" while I'm already spread eagle." I hate that! It's so uncomfortable (as if it isn't already!) to try and scoot down while your feet are up in the stirrups and the paper you are lying on is sticking to you...

The scootching. For sure.

i dislike going to the gyno any time. but i guess it's just something that women must get used to. damn

ha! my sisters and i were talking about this once, one of my sisters says she makes sure she's way down at the edge of the table to begin with so she doesn't have to scootch!

You didn't give an 'all the above' button!

ugh, the scootching! i guess it's necessary but it's so annoying. and that paper isn't made for scootching. it's made for wrapping up bloody meat at a butcher shop.

LOL on "scootch."

My gyno told me if you don't scootch forward enough, it'll hurt like a mother when she goes to put the metal duck-lips in.

ANyone see "The Vaginal Monologues?" Why don't they WARM UP the duck-lips??!! Seriously - they're a shocker.

All of the above except the one that says this is fun.

I hate being so naked in front of someone who I'm not being intimate with. That might be why I hate bathing suits! My gyno actually is my mother's also. She helped birth me! So, she's seen me as a fetus haha!

Blech, I have my annual exam this friday. Great, now I'm dreading it even more thinking about the duck lips.

Clearly, I'm in the minority but I don't mind going at all. I actually look forward to it. My doctor and the nurse practitioner that I see are both excellent and go out of their way to make sure I'm comfortable. They ask questions w/out sounding condescending, they have the "tools" warmed via heating pad in a drawer, I get a warm blanket and a cloth gown to cover with, and I know that by going, I'm doing something proactive for my health.

I've never had a bad experience and the women there are all so nice and friendly. Even when I had a recent scare they were more than willing to answer questions in a way I understood.

Meh all I can think of is the speculum, because for my last (and first, how sweet) exam this stupid nurse prolly picked one that was too big, so well I ended up crying and biting my hand not to scream. And I felt horribly sick for the next two days. Oh well, at least it was so painful that I didn't even feel the pap smear when she did it.

And now I think of it, she didn't even give me a breast exam or 'check' my ovaries. Maybe I should go and see a real, competent gyn in another surgery.. brrrr *shivers*

Advah, that's how my past two have been. I don't have to go back until January, and I'm already dreading it, because the pain was so intense. But you're definitely right, at least when you are in tears from the speculum, you can't even feel the scraping of the pap smear! Seriously, if I wasn't at risk for ovarian cancer (yay, yearly ovary sonograms), I don't think I'd be able to drag myself in anymore.

Scooting forward is the absolute worst! You're already think your spread as wide as you can and then they ask to see more & more of your hidden treasure! totally sucks!!!!

There's a whole lot of the above that is SO not any fun. At least my doc uses a warmed speculum and little padded covers on the stirrups. But the one thing that just throws the whole experience over the edge for me is those DAMN PAPER GOWNS. I really could deal with the rest if I had the dignity of a warm cloth bathrobe.

After having 2 kids, and going through so much to get those kiddies out, the gyno is less of a pain. I DO really hate those paper gowns though.

I used to fear the "annual poke & probe". I had abnormal pap results which turned out to be fine after the cervical biopsy. But for a while I was afraid that I'd have to go through that again. But I've gotten over it and actually don't mind my annual poke and probe.

For the record, my gyno's name is DR. MASSENGIL! Was that man destined to become a gyno or what?

eww the speculum. I just don't understand why technology is so advanced, but they're still using a metal tool that looks like it is used to handle raw meat on us?!!! I hate it!!!!!!!! I have to say the pap and then scooch forward are the next worse.

Everything , I hate it so much! They really need to find a better way to give women that yearly exam. You know if men had to go threw it they would have a way better way already invented.

Nothing can be worse than when the speculum slips out midway through the exam! Shocked the doctor too. Happened to me.

The pumpkin scraping!

@Julieulie: tx! Not that I'm happy you had a painful exam, too, but it makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one. People are like 'nope, sometimes it's painful, but never that bad if everything's fine for you'. Well, duh!

While the scooching is bad, I think having my stiny ugly feet in the Dr.'s face along with other parts of by body just is too much. I need to bring a pair of clean socks to slip on before I go in the stirrups.

the goopy K-Y stuff that they put on you to get the stuff to slide in. Then you have to wipe it off and if you're appt. is in the middle of the day then you have to go back to work all gooey and gross. Blech.

What scratchy paper gown?
Here in Belgium (and it's the same everywhare in Europe) you simply take off your clothes - no big deal.

Not to be gross, and I'm not joking around, but I've heard from a couple of friends that their gyno sticks their finger up their anus during the exam to check out the anal passage and whatnot, is that normal? None of my doctors have done that before (and I don't really want them to start)...

BethS - Technically, the rectalvaginal exam is part of a pelvic exam, to feel for tumors that might be hiding behind the uterus or in the rectum. Most clinicians seem to skip out on it though (I've never had it done with any of my gynos) but it is taught in medical school as part of the exam.

Uggh...how did you know I have an emergency gyno appointment next week? Getting healthy, exercising tons and walking more than 10 miles a day has somehow triggered me to have horrible-horrible cramps and uterean swelling everyday, every hour of the day whether its period time or not. WHY?
So my gynologist is lovely - on the whole I don't think about the procedures too much not to uncomfortable it only takes 15 to 20 minutes but I worry that later that day or week I will get a call say "Please come back to my office asap, it's important. We need to talk."

Dreadful.

Silvergirl - Really? So you're just siting there completely nude?

Eww, I hate the scraping the most, for me it is very painful (I've discussed it with my friends and some can't even feel it). I do hate scootching and the paper gowns too, and the speculum is horrible.

I am always terrified that I will toot while I'm on the table. I can't think of a worse position to be in and accidentally pass gas. I pray that it never happens!

It's an even score between the cold duck and the fact that most Gyns I've met so far are so annoyingly patronizing! I hate it when they don't tell you things because a) they think you're stupid or b) they pretend they know better and won't listen to you to begin with. Even when I provably did know better in hindsight sometimes.

All of the above, definitely.

Oh, and one gyno felt the need to point out that I had razorburn! Gee, as though I didn't already know. I switched after that.

I really don't mind the appointment too much, except for the paper gown; I like knowing everything is OK. I figure if the doctor had any qualms about seeing the cathouse up close, he/she wouldn't have gone into gynecology. But sometimes I do feel like I should make conversation, against my better judgement, and it usually devolves into something like, "I can't believe insurance only lets me do this once a year! [long pause]"

tlsgirl - that is SO insensitive and unnecessary. I'm glad u switched!

All of it.

I dont think anybody enjoys going.

My gyno is ridiculous!! First of all, she gave me attitude when I wanted my mom in the room because it was my first time. She said it would "delay her schedule". So that worked me up before I even had my gown on. My exam hurt so bad. I don't see why they can't at least try to relax you with laughing gas like at the dentist or something like that. I went because I had to go on birth control because my periods are horrible but then it turns out I got depression from taking the pills so now I have to find a way to help my horrible cramps and heavy bleeding. Does anyone have any ideas? I would appreciate it. BTW, I wish I could have answered everyone of those options except the one where you don't mind going.

I love going to see my gyno! Haha x]
For one thing, he's always very respectful and kind to me. He always has warm hands and he's very gentle. He's pretty cute too!! I KNOW I flirt with him without really meaning to!

Oh, and the naked thing .. I think I look pretty good naked =P I'm only 20 (pretty young) - I don't have anything to be embarrassed/ashamed of!

I never had any issue with my previous exams and believed that this exam isn't be painful. Uncomfortable yet, but painful never. I have since experienced a very painful exam because the doctor used a speculum that was larger then my vagina could handle. She didn't warn me nor did she stop when I cried out in pain. This is totally unexceptable in my opinion. My dentist would never do anything to my mouth that would cause pain. Why do Doctors think it is OK to cause pain to a womans most sensitive body part? This was a female doctor too so that isn't any guarentee that you will get a sensitive exam. Yep sometimes there might be some pain, but if a doctor isn't responsive then they are at fault. Ladies it is time we stopped making nice and letting doctors get away with this. Before you lay back and spread your legs make sure you can trust that your dignity will be respected and if there wils going to be pain you have agreed to that. PS.. to the young girl that wanted your mother... sorry your doctor was a prick... don't ever settle for that kind of crap again... walk out before you let someone like that touch you again. If this exam is done correctly is should only cause some minor discomfort... maybe some pain, but it shouldn't be horrible pain!

I never had any issue with my previous exams and believed that this exam isn't be painful. Uncomfortable yet, but painful never. I have since experienced a very painful exam because the doctor used a speculum that was larger then my vagina could handle. She didn't warn me nor did she stop when I cried out in pain. This is totally unexceptable in my opinion. My dentist would never do anything to my mouth that would cause pain. Why do Doctors think it is OK to cause pain to a womans most sensitive body part? This was a female doctor too so that isn't any guarentee that you will get a sensitive exam. Yep sometimes there might be some pain, but if a doctor isn't responsive then they are at fault. Ladies it is time we stopped making nice and letting doctors get away with this. Before you lay back and spread your legs make sure you can trust that your dignity will be respected and if there wils going to be pain you have agreed to that. PS.. to the young girl that wanted your mother... sorry your doctor was a prick... don't ever settle for that kind of crap again... walk out before you let someone like that touch you again. If this exam is done correctly is should only cause some minor discomfort... maybe some pain, but it shouldn't be horrible pain!

It's all so bad from start to finish that I don't really know what to say is the worst thing. What I probably hate the most isn't on your list. It's when he rotates the cursed speculum inside me then hearing and feel it being cranked opened. That is soooo uncomfortable!!

@rubialala: How do you get your doc to use KY? None of the ones I've been to will ever do that. They claim it can interfere with the results.