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Health

When Women's Pain Isn't Taken Seriously

In the UK, hysteroscopies—a procedure by which doctors examine the inside of the uterus—are routinely performed without any form of pain relief. But for some women, the experience can be unbearably painful.
Illustration of a hysteroscopy
Illustration by Owain Anderson

Jessica Furseth has had two hysteroscopies, a procedure by which doctors examine the inside of the uterus. The first time, she wasn't given pain medication, but the doctor told her that most patients "tolerate" the procedure. And while she did tolerate it, the process was uncomfortable at best. So it got her wondering about the patients who don't tolerate their hysteroscopies. What happens to them—and if this is a problem for some women, why isn't pain relief discussed beforehand?

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In a recent piece for Broadly, Furseth looked at how, for some women in the UK, hysteroscopies can be unbearably painful, if not downright traumatizing. We sat down with Jessica to learn more on this episode of The VICE Guide To Right Now Podcast.

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