Last week, I had a common medical procedure that I should have been sedated for. My gynecologist’s office denied my request to receive it because their anesthesiologist is only onsite one day per month. Over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, an intrauterine device, or IUD is one of the best forms of long-acting reversible contraception. I was 17 when I had an IUD placed for the first time, and I nearly fainted from the pain of the procedure. My lack of accessibility to sedation in these instances is rooted in the fact that women’s pain is not taken seriously.
Despite my past negative experience, I still opted for another IUD because once the procedure was over, I had no birth control-related problems. For five years, I didn’t have to worry about taking a pill on time, and I didn’t miss class over cramps. To me, the temporary pain is worth it, but it shouldn’t have to be. Everyone should be allowed to make medical decisions that work for both them and their pain tolerance.
This time around, my new gynecologist gave me non-sedative, pain-resolving options, but I still experienced some of the most uncomfortable pain of my life. My experiences are far from unique: 49.7% of people report intense pain from the procedure, and only 2.5% of people report no pain at all.
My new gynecologist, at the surface level, did take my prior experience into account before the procedure. However, he still managed to make a joke about being grateful he didn’t have a uterus. Sure, we shared a laugh at the time, but looking back, I’m uncomfortable with that sentiment. It’s an easy thing to say coming from someone who will never have to experience the pain he is about to put me through.
This issue of women’s pain not being taken seriously is nothing new, but it is still incredibly relevant and extends beyond the realm of sexual health. A research study from 2001 found that despite women more frequently reporting pain to a healthcare provider, their pain reports are more likely to be discounted as “emotional” and therefore, not real. A more recent study from 2022 found that women who entered emergency rooms with chest pain had a 29% longer wait time for a heart attack evaluation as opposed to men who entered with chest pain. These gendered biases are part of the reason why endometriosis, a painful disease that afflicts nearly one in ten people with a uterus, takes anywhere from four to 11 years to diagnose.
Despite this evidence, some medical professionals still insist that sedation is unnecessary for IUD insertion. The lack of research on reproductive health, however, is a big reason why pain is not taken seriously. In 1977 the FDA created a guideline excluding women of “reproductive potential” from joining early phases of clinical research. The FDA only reversed that policy in 1993. The research is still limited, and that needs to change.
It’s past time that women’s healthcare and pain are treated with the dignity they deserve. Our current president’s rash and backwards executive orders make it hard to predict what the next few years will hold when it comes to sexual healthcare, making it all the more important to recognize and rally against the inequities that we face at the micro level. I don’t want my bad experiences to negate the importance of receiving sexual healthcare, but rather, I hope to shed light on the fact that pain is still prevalent, and it shouldn’t be.
