Stirrups (not the horse kind)

[slemslempike]

When you go for a smear test (or similar), are there stirrups?

I've usually heard Americans talking about stirrups for such incidents, while I'm under the impression that I've only heard British women refer to them for ante-natal use. When I go, I just have to do that frogs' legs thing (which is awkward if the table is against the wall on one side).

I was watching Jo Brand on Live at the Apollo, and she talked about stirrups as if they would of course be used for a smear. Have I just always had lo-tech medical care? I don't feel like I have had a particularly sheltered outlook, at least four medical professionals have investigated my nethers.

Comments

[chiasmata]

Nope, no stirrups that I've ever seen.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Good God no. If I walked into an examining room and saw stirrups I'd flee.

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

I've never had stirrups for anything routine in a GP's office. I think I've encountered them twice, both in private gynaecologists' offices, once in the UK and once in Australia.

[alltheleaves.livejournal.com]

I've never had stirrups for anything gynaecological and I go to a good hospital with very up-to-date medical care. I think it's a progressive thing not to have them as they seem very backward to me. I know in the US, some places still use stirrups for a woman to put her feet in to during the labouring process which is very different to the "get in the position that feels most comfortable and we'll adapt to what suits" attitude that has mostly been adopted over here (based on various friends' experiences). And even if they don't have that attitude here, there are still no stirrups.

[snowballjane.livejournal.com]

Three different GP surgeries, all NHS, one of which was an ultra-up-to-date teaching centre linked to UCLH for doctors to learn to be GPs. No stirrups anywhere.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I've never encountered stirrups. Every time I've had a smear test, it's just been 'lie back on this examining table' which is, as you say, awkward if the damn thing is up against a wall which it almost always is.

The last time I went the nurse helpfully said 'Oh, you don't have any trouble opening your legs' when I frog-posed, and then went scarlet.

[carmine-rose.livejournal.com]

I've never had stirrups, and I've been examined both here in the UK, and in Australia. Several time in both (smears here, and a case of cystitis that just wouldn't go - I ended up being referred to Sydney Hospital's genito-urinary clinic, and still no stirrups.)

[lsugaralmond.livejournal.com]

I've never had stirrups either - just the frog pose. I wouldn't mind stirrups though, since I find holding the frog pose for any length of time to be quite hard work.

[whatho.livejournal.com]

Nein. Never come across it. Don't know if it's different in a well-woman clinic or hospital to how it is in a GP's surgery though.

[coughingbear]

No stirrups for me either, and I've had smear tests in several different surgeries. But I have never been complimented on my cervix or anything :( - in fact, last time it really hurt, which I had not known before, and I let out a little squeak, and the nurse said it was just my fault for getting older. (OK, she didn't actually say it was my fault, but it was there in the tone of her voice.)

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Never any stirrups, not for smear tests nor having the "coil" changed nor for two childbirth events - the second was very sensibly managed, with me more or less sitting up instead of flat on my back

[notmarcie.livejournal.com]

I had stirrups once, back in about 1996 when I thought I would be responsible and have a vagina MOT when I started being sexually active.

Since then I've had various nether region examinations for various reasons and they haven't been used since. And every single one of them has used the term frogs legs. None of my GPs examination couches have them either fixed or the little swinging out ones. neither did my last GP either.

[zoje-george.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I'd say that until about five years ago, every visit to the GYN included stirrups and one's bottom hanging perilously off the edge of the table. Then at some point the far less perilous, far more comfortable knee stirrups began appearing in the GYN's office.

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

I think I had stirrups when being stitched after childbirth (three times) but I was so high on gas and air (with my first birth the bastards gave me gas and air for the stitching but not for the actual birth) and post-childbirth hormones that I didn't really notice or care.

And well, I would like them to be able to see what they're doing at that point, especially the nurse who said "I'm just going to ask for a seccond opinion" which turned out to be "which side do you think this bit goes?" (yes the first labour was horrific and yes I am still bitter)

I was never told to use stirrups during labour.

For smears and IUS fitting it's been the frog thing.

[the-local-echo.livejournal.com]

There is a whole article about this here:

http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/2006/07/pelvic-examinations-are-you-sitting.html

Conclusion:
“Women feel less vulnerable and experience less discomfort when the examination is carried out without stirrups.”

American doctors use stirrups routinely and all doctors (not just Americans!) can be pretty set in their ways. Perhaps it is time for a change.

A woman in the UK may well get through the whole of her gynaecological and obstetric life without seeing a pair of examination stirrups.

For once, we may have got it right.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Will someone please educate me as to what you mean by frogs legs in this context!

[leedy.livejournal.com]

Yet another person who has never been in stirrups!

[medland.livejournal.com]

I've never had stirrups either.

[heyiya.livejournal.com]

Had them in the US, never in the UK. I didn't really know what to do with them and they freaked me out.

[fanofall.livejournal.com]

I think I may be the only Yank to respond so far -- I have never not had feet stirrups (I've never even seen knee stirrups), although at my very most recent examination, which also happened to be my post-surgery examination, the stirrups were there but we did not use them. Curious. My GYN is also young and pretty progressive -- I wonder if she read that article.