Back to Search
Start Over
Exploring women’s sensory experiences of undergoing colposcopy and related procedures: implications for preparatory sensory information provision
- Source :
- Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology. 37:137-146
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Informa UK Limited, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Some women experience distress during colposcopy examinations which is partly related to women's fear, or experience, of pain during the procedure. However, little is known about women's sensory experiences of colposcopy (other than pain) or what might impact on these experiences. The aim of this study was to explore women's sensory experiences of colposcopy and related procedures and identify factors which influenced negative sensory experiences.In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 women who had undergone, for the first time, a colposcopy (some with related procedures, including punch biopsies and loop excision) as part of follow-up for abnormal cervical cytology. Interviews were analysed thematically using the Framework Approach to organise the data and identify emerging higher-order themes.Women described a range of sensory experiences including pain or discomfort, cramping, stinging and cold sensations (due to the application of acetic acid to the cervix). Four key themes emerged as important aspects of the overall sensory experience: levels of pain, treatment-specific sensations, anaesthetic-specific sensations and solution-specific sensations. Factors that may influence women having a negative sensory experience were sensory expectations of the procedure(s) and lack of preparatory sensory information.Our study provides unique in-depth insight into women's sensory experiences of colposcopy and related procedures and suggests women require more preparatory sensory information. The issues identified as contributing to women having a negative sensory experience may help inform the development of pre-colposcopy information which may better prepare women with abnormal cervical cytology for follow-up examinations.
- Subjects :
- Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Aftercare
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Sensory system
Pain, Procedural
Cold sensation
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Patient Education as Topic
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Loop excision
Cervix
Qualitative Research
Colposcopy
Gynecology
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Middle Aged
Psychiatry and Mental health
Clinical Psychology
Distress
medicine.anatomical_structure
Reproductive Medicine
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Abnormal cervical cytology
Female
business
Clinical psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17438942 and 0167482X
- Volume :
- 37
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....063b3bcb20bdf7daeba3b4cf4c05832c