Woman raped by vaginal probe :(

[rward]

It sounds like the tech. didn't know what he she was doing.Such an exam should not cause injury or pain.

It may not be the tech. Different people have different levels of pain and pain tolerance, which can change unexpectedly due to hormonal flux, emotional state, fatigue, other illness, etc.

I am in chronic pain, have been my entire life. Every day is not the same and every experience is not the same. Sometimes, a hug can be enthusiastic and welcome, sometimes a hug can make me cry.

The problem is, hugs are voluntary, a TVU isn't, if you want to know what's wrong. And if the woman has a low pain tolerance, is already in pain, is upset to begin with, the tech may not have been able to not hurt the poor woman, not and get the information needed.

[HomegirlRuby]

Did she not speak up and say "ouch" or "stop please?" It seems to me that her doctor or nurse would have done something to make the experience less painful. I've also had these done (twice) and found nothing painful about the procedure (though it wasn't my idea of fun) - seems like if it was painful they were doing something incorrectly.

[Pathfinder]

Did she not speak up and say "ouch" or "stop please?" It seems to me that her doctor or nurse would have done something to make the experience less painful. I've also had these done (twice) and found nothing painful about the procedure (though it wasn't my idea of fun) - seems like if it was painful they were doing something incorrectly.

You've hit the nail on the head. If a doctor/tech/nurse is hurting you, you have an obligation to let them know, and they have the obligation to modify the procedure or to reassure you that they are doing everything within their power to make it tolerable. Communication is vital and any good doc/nurse will ensure that the patient will feel comfortable speaking up if the needs arises - but the patient is ultimately responsible for relating their discomfort to the provider.

[mockingbird]

You've hit the nail on the head. If a doctor/tech/nurse is hurting you, you have an obligation to let them know, and they have the obligation to modify the procedure or to reassure you that they are doing everything within their power to make it tolerable. Communication is vital and any good doc/nurse will ensure that the patient will feel comfortable speaking up if the needs arises - but the patient is ultimately responsible for relating their discomfort to the provider.

It's also the tech and doctor's responsibility to explain this and follow through. Not everyone does, unfortunately. I have had mostly good experiences in healthcare, but have also had a couple of experiences where I was screaming in pain during a minor procedure or exam and the person would not take a break or do something to help me, because they thought it would benefit me in the long run to just finish it out. No, actually, it made me feel disrespected and vulnerable on top of the pain. (Hint to new surgical residents: I don't care how many stitches there are, I don't care if it's only one or two, unless it is an emergency you ALWAYS numb the area before putting them in. Or you ask the patient if it's okay not to.)

We don't know what happened, and I believe her that she was traumatized - whether that was from not knowing what to expect or not knowing that she could speak up if it became too much for her, or a fault of the doctor or tech who was there. I don't know that I would call it rape though.

[argypargy]

Same here. I had to have one about a year ago and it is a nasty, painful, invasive procedure and I had a very gentle tech who allowed me to push it in myself (it was surprisingly difficult to get it in.) Once in, they must push against the walls and cervix so there is a lot of prodding. It does feel a bit like rape, but it is a medical procedure which I agreed to (as I am sure she did as well.) There are plenty of medical procedures out there that are painful and unpleasant-- the vaginal probe just happens to have sexual overtones because it is inside the vagina. I cannot imagine this law suit has a chance of succeeding.

Having had one done of my own volition, I am so much more opposed to the unnecessary transvaginal probes required by some states prior to abortions. It would be a nightmare if I thought it was completely unnecessary.

I agree with this. I've had one done early in pregnancy to check the length of my cervix. It only took about 5 minutes or so. However, they knew what they were looking for when they went in. In this woman's case, it was undiagnosed stomach pain. I could see that taking a good while longer to make sure they don't miss something. It is an unpleasant procedure, but, let's face it, most medical procedures are. I don't want to belittle possibility of it being abuse, though.

[Pathfinder]

It's also the tech and doctor's responsibility to explain this and follow through. Not everyone does, unfortunately. I have had mostly good experiences in healthcare, but have also had a couple of experiences where I was screaming in pain during a minor procedure or exam and the person would not take a break or do something to help me, because they thought it would benefit me in the long run to just finish it out. No, actually, it made me feel disrespected and vulnerable on top of the pain. (Hint to new surgical residents: I don't care how many stitches there are, I don't care if it's only one or two, unless it is an emergency you ALWAYS numb the area before putting them in. Or you ask the patient if it's okay not to.)

We don't know what happened, and I believe her that she was traumatized - whether that was from not knowing what to expect or not knowing that she could speak up if it became too much for her, or a fault of the doctor or tech who was there. I don't know that I would call it rape though.

I am not disagreeing with you. Communication is the key. Your providers failed to communicate to you and give you a choice, and that is not acceptable.

In this case, we don't know if the woman in question did attempt to communicate her discomfort to the tech, who for whatever reason failed to address it. Similarly, we also don't know if the tech was completely unaware of the level of discomfort and would have gone to great lengths to modify the procedure if he/she was informed. I just can't validate her trauma based upon the sketchy details in the article. Then again, it's not my job to validate or invalidate... if she perceives the trauma, it is real to her. She would need to be helped through it, but I don't think the tech should be punished if the evidence reveals they weren't informed.

Bottom line is providers can't modify something that they don't know about. On the other hand, if they are informed and ignore the issue, they should be held accountable for it.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Same here. I had to have one about a year ago and it is a nasty, painful, invasive procedure and I had a very gentle tech who allowed me to push it in myself (it was surprisingly difficult to get it in.) Once in, they must push against the walls and cervix so there is a lot of prodding. It does feel a bit like rape, but it is a medical procedure which I agreed to (as I am sure she did as well.) There are plenty of medical procedures out there that are painful and unpleasant-- the vaginal probe just happens to have sexual overtones because it is inside the vagina. I cannot imagine this law suit has a chance of succeeding.

Having had one done of my own volition, I am so much more opposed to the unnecessary transvaginal probes required by some states prior to abortions. It would be a nightmare if I thought it was completely unnecessary.

I agree.

It may have been extremely uncomfortable and upsetting, but if she gave consent to the exam and if the tech wasn't intentionally try to hurt or sexually abuse her, there's not much of a case. It's hard to know without having the actual medical records and testimony of all parties whether there was a reason for the length of the exam or the pain felt.

Also agree that legally mandated transvaginal exams show a blatant disregard for women's bodies and rights.

[August]

Did she not speak up and say "ouch" or "stop please?" It seems to me that her doctor or nurse would have done something to make the experience less painful. I've also had these done (twice) and found nothing painful about the procedure (though it wasn't my idea of fun) - seems like if it was painful they were doing something incorrectly.

I don't know about your anatomy or reason for having them, but trust me, they can hurt quite often and quite easily. Don't ever have one during your period - excruciating! And you can't just stop it, you're having it done for a reason, you need to just grit your teeth and get through it.

I've had dental techs say bullshit like "I know you're just making noise because this couldn't possibly hurt".

[mockingbird]

I am not disagreeing with you. Communication is the key. Your providers failed to communicate to you and give you a choice, and that is not acceptable.

In this case, we don't know if the woman in question did attempt to communicate her discomfort to the tech, who for whatever reason failed to address it. Similarly, we also don't know if the tech was completely unaware of the level of discomfort and would have gone to great lengths to modify the procedure if he/she was informed. I just can't validate her trauma based upon the sketchy details in the article. Then again, it's not my job to validate or invalidate... if she perceives the trauma, it is real to her. She would need to be helped through it, but I don't think the tech should be punished if the evidence reveals they weren't informed.

Bottom line is providers can't modify something that they don't know about. On the other hand, if they are informed and ignore the issue, they should be held accountable for it.

Then I agree with you too! LOL. I should have said I believe that she COULD have been traumatized. I agree the tech shouldn't be punished if it turns out nothing was done inappropriately and she (patient) didn't make her discomfort known.

I've had dental techs say bullshit like "I know you're just making noise because this couldn't possibly hurt".

Seriously, that is why I'm trying to get into a pediatric dentist locally (they usually also work with special needs adults and I have a lot of co-morbid medical problems). I still go to my one at home but it's getting inconvenient to travel back. I have a really small mouth and my gums are sensitive, so I want them to be patient/deliberate/baby me.

[So Many Lies]

I dont know about this. .. not wanting to cast aspersions on a woman's personal account of being violated but... I don't think I would have given *all* these intimate details to a media outlet if I was traumatized. Seems slightly...opportunistic.

[Peas n carrots]

I have no experience with this thankfully, and I can't make a judgment as to whether or not this lady is overblowing the issue. However, I think it's good to bring attention to the fact that this procedure is generally unnecessary for abortions, and is meant to make women feel uncomfortable and violated - in other words shaming women into not having abortions.

[nokidsmom]

I just saw the gyno for exam/perimenopausal issues and I am scheduled for this same exam among other tests to rule out causes. Feedback I have gotten from friends who have had it is that it's not that bad but since I have never had this, I guess I will find out.

I do agree that the procedure is totally unnecessary for abortions. It is not medically necesssary (and it may have already been done to time the pregnancy anyway) and only exists to make it harder for women to get access to a legal procedure.

Interesting that for a country that's worried about access to healthcare / cost of healthcare and is implementing the ACA, that there's legislation that completely counters it.

[scc12]

why on earth would an invasive procedure be needed bf an abortion? it wouldn't.they can verify the pregnancy thru a normal test or a non-invasive US.

[RosyDaisy]

I had one a few years ago, and it took longer than what I was told and hurt like hell. But, that was due to my condition, not because of something the tech did. Both the doctor and tech explained the procedure and said due to my condition it might be painful. I consented to the procedure, but I didn't feel like I was being raped. I know the difference between somebody shoving an instrument up my vagina vs. an ultrasound tech doing her job. The tech even asked the doctor if I could have something for the pain. The only nightmares I had came after the results when I was told I needed a hysterectomy.

However, if what happened to the woman in the article is true, then that is rape. I hope she gets some counseling to help her through this. Also, IMO, it is also rape to force a woman to have a vaginal ultrasound before having an abortion. No woman deserves to be violated in that way.