Women have described being dismissed, disbelieved and left in serious pain during a routine womb examination that affects tens of thousands every year.
Users of parenting forum Mumsnet who underwent hysteroscopy procedures also shared concerns about receiving unclear information before treatment and being given little or no pain relief afterwards. Some women, who described feeling physically and emotionally vulnerable, compared the experience to sexual assault.
Research led by the University of Reading, published today (Tuesday, 21 April) in the journal Women's Health, analysed 4,644 posts from Mumsnet users posted between 2018-2024.
Susanne Cromme, lead author from the University of Reading, said: "Women in their thousands say they are going into hysteroscopy procedures unprepared, left in more pain than they were led to expect, and feeling that their experience is not being taken seriously, our analysis shows.
"This is not simply an online pile-on. The themes we found in our research are consistent with what clinical studies already tell us about hysteroscopy. But by listening to women talk to each other openly, without a researcher in the room, we get a much richer picture of the issues facing patients.”
The study is published following the launch of the Mumsnet campaign to End Medical Misogyny , which is fighting to end the ‘systemic dismissal, disbelief or de-prioritisation of women’s symptoms in healthcare’, and comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the health system “too often gaslights women, treating their pain as an inconvenience.”
Justine Roberts, Founder, Mumsnet & Gransnet, said: “This research makes clear that too many women are still experiencing severe pain during hysteroscopy, and that problem is compounded by unclear information, inconsistent pain relief and a lack of proper consent.
"These are not one-off failures - they form a repeated pattern and that’s exactly what Mumsnet’s medical misogyny campaign is highlighting: systemic failings in women's healthcare.
"Nothing encapsulates that more clearly than the expectation that women should endure avoidable pain during gynaecological procedures. If the NHS is serious about tackling medical misogyny, this has to change.”
'We shouldn’t tolerate this’
Around 71,000 hysteroscopy procedures take place every year in England.
Mumsnet user Dawn Lord, 52, from Hartlepool, underwent an unexpected hysteroscopy and related procedures in 2023 without informed consent or adequate pain relief, despite repeatedly expressing that she was in severe pain. She was ignored during the procedure, later passed out, and was left with lasting physical and psychological harm. When she sought further care, she was told again that most women cope with the procedure well, and was offered further treatment without being given proper pain relief.
Dawn said: “I went to what I thought was just a results appointment, but instead I was put through multiple procedures with no warning, no proper consent and no pain management. I was shouting in pain throughout and was ignored. Even when my husband asked for pain relief, we were told there wasn’t any. I later blacked out, and they apologised for not warning me that could happen.
“What I keep hearing is that ‘most patients tolerate it’—but we shouldn’t have to tolerate this. Better pain management should be available as standard in women’s healthcare.”
Next steps for the NHS
According to the analysed Mumsnet posts, women were told procedures would be no worse than a smear test, feeling unable to stop once it had started, and finding that the pain relief available depended entirely on which NHS trust they attended.
The analysis identified five recurring problems among hysteroscopy patients:
Not enough information before the procedure. Women said they had agreed to treatment without being told how painful it could be, or that other options existed.
Feeling exposed and unprotected. Women described feeling physically and emotionally vulnerable during the procedure. Some compared the experience to sexual assault.
A ‘postcode lottery’ for pain relief. Pain management varied widely between trusts. Women questioned why sedation seemed to be offered routinely for colonoscopies and endoscopies was not available for gynaecological procedures.
Pain played down by staff. Women described being told their pain was not as bad as they were experiencing it. In some cases, patients claimed they were told they "tolerated the procedure well" when they had been in serious distress.
An unequal standard of care. Women described feeling that their pain was treated differently from how a man's would be in a comparable situation, and that they were reportedly expected to simply endure it.
The researchers say the findings suggest problems go beyond individual clinicians, as the posts reflect wider structural issues in women's healthcare, such as potentially underfunded services and potential unequal standards of care.
The study calls for NHS trusts to introduce standardised consent processes that give women clear information about pain, alternatives, and what to expect. It also recommends consistent pain management protocols across all hospitals, and training for clinicians in trauma-informed care.
From pain gaslighting to gender biases in women’s accounts of hysteroscopy: A qualitative reflexive thematic analysis
21-Apr-2026