suffering from endometriosis, Fanny and Laura tell the unacceptable

Above all, a doctor must be a trustworthy person who listens to our intimate problems. However, some specialists create a climate of fear, which leads to psychological trauma. We are talking here about obstetric and gynecological violence. And the latter remain very taboo in our society. According to a report of the High Council for Equality between Women and Men (HCE), dated 2018, “Sexist acts during gynecological and obstetrical follow-up are gestures, remarks, practices and behaviors exercised or omitted by one or more members of the nursing staff on a patient during the gynecological and obstetrical follow-up and which are part of the history of gynecological and obstetrical medicine, crossed by the desire to control the body of women (sexuality and ability to give birth). They are the work of caregivers – of all specialties – women and men, who do not necessarily have the ‘intention to be mistreating.es They can take a wide variety of forms, from the seemingly harmless to the most serious. “ The HCE explained these facts by relying on “the initial and continuing training of the medical professions which remains centered on the technique, to the detriment of the human relationship and respect for consent. (…) The legal obligation to provide training on gender-based and sexual violence remains insufficiently deployed and continuing training insufficient in view of the gaps between the recommendations, drawn up in particular by the Haute Autorité de Santé, and practices. ” The study also revealed that 3.4% of complaints filed with the Order of Physicians in 2016 concerned sexual assault and rape committed by doctors.

Launched in 2014 on Twitter the hashtag # PayYourUterus had brought out more than 7000 testimonies of women in 24 hours! The Facebook and Tumblr accounts called “Paye ton gynéco”, meanwhile, still collect many comments today about inappropriate words and gestures. The HCE had called at the time for an awareness of the public authorities to recognize sexist acts. However, the problem persists. Women with gynecological disorders are even more exposed to these acts. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age, and this still taboo disease is diagnosed late, as the association reminds us. EndoFrance.

We gathered the testimony of Fanny and Laura, suffering from endometriosis and victims of gynecological violence. Nothing is more important to them than telling their stories to help other women who very often remain silent.

Fanny’s testimony:

Video by Juliette Le Peillet

Laura’s testimony:

What? Who told you that you have endometriosis? What is this story again ?? Whatever !

Laura: I have an appointment for a pelvic follow-up ultrasound for my endometriosis. The doctor is accompanied by a young intern. Neither of them speaks to me, except to tell me to undress and sit down, my feet in the stirrups of the examination table. The intern prepares for the examination, while the gynecologist is on her phone, sitting on the desk. The intern performs the manipulations with the probe, I look at the ceiling while waiting for this moment to pass. Then, the intern asks the gynecologist if the images are well taken. The gynecologist drops her phone, looks at the screen, and says “no you have to go further or else you won’t see anything”. Approaching the screen, she inadvertently taps the probe, still in place in my vagina. I breathe a light sigh of pain and surprise. Neither the gynecologist nor the intern pays attention to me, the gynecologist then grabs the probe, and sharply pushes it in even further, saying to the intern “look, you have to go further if you want to see!”.

After 3 years of living with high grade papillomavirus lesions, I went to my specialist gynecologist for yet another biopsy. The specialist decided not to perform a conization (removal of the part of the cervix with the pre-cancerous lesions), since I was only 26 years old when we noticed that my smears had abnormalities. He decided to give my body a chance to heal from the virus, preserving my cervix. During the consultation, after having performed this biopsy, I ask the gynecologist if we can also take stock of my endometriosis. He looks at me, and says: “What? Who told you you have endometriosis? What’s the whole thing? Anything!” I explain to him that I was diagnosed two and a half years ago, and that he has been following me gynecologically since then, and that endometriosis was noted in my file that he had in front of him. He looks at me again, and says: “Well make a kid !! Do you have someone in your life? You’re almost 30, what are you waiting for?”. Swallowing my tears, I try to explain to him that my life was not yet appropriate for the arrival of a child, he then answers me: “What? Are you telling me that I have been preserving your cervix for all these years when you may never have children? I should have operated from the start, and you removed it? uterus and cervix, at least I would have saved time !! “

To read also: Endometriosis: do you suffer without knowing it? 6 signs that should alert you

It’s not painful, it’s just unpleasant! “

Due to my endometriosis, I have had difficulty emptying my bladder for some time. A few months ago, I had to do an exam with a urologist. I arrived, quite stressed, because I had no idea what was going to happen. I am given a gown, and a charlotte, to go into the sterile zone. I arrive in a room, with a nurse and the urologist, I sit on the table, my feet in the stirrups. They put a numbing gel on me, then the urologist starts inserting a camera into my bladder through the urethra. I start to take my breath away, indicating that it hurts. The nurse tells me “the numbing gel must not have worked… Well, too bad”, and she turns to the urologist. They resume their conversation about their next dream vacation destinations, continuing to insert the camera. I stiffen up, they let me go “stop moving, and breathe!”, I tell them once again that I am in great pain, and that with my endometriosis I am usually resistant to pain. The urologist slips me a “it’s not painful, it’s just unpleasant!”. No longer holding on, I started to cry, because I had the impression that my complaints were not taken seriously. Tears to sobs, I started to tremble like a leaf, in front of the pain and the coldness of the specialist and the nurse who continued to discuss between them, without trying to reassure me to calm me down. When the exam was over, I was just told where I should go to give my vital card, regardless of how I was. They let me go away crying, hardly able to stand on my legs.

How to stop this violence?

These testimonies do not want to overwhelm an entire medical profession, but highlight the failings in terms of benevolence among health specialists. Women with endometriosis, but also other pathologies no longer dare to go to a consultation for fear of not being taken seriously and of being ridiculed. Everything is played during the training of young gynecologists or other doctors. We must therefore instill this need to listen to women who suffer daily, in silence.

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Video by Clara Poudevigne

Celine Peschard

Journalist who loves the versatility that his profession can offer. Specialized in the historical field, societal subjects and auteur films, against a background of electronic music. University course based on …