1. My first exam was in France, the lady doctor was very professional and made me feel at ease. Also I felt less embarrassed because French isn’t my first language. A great first experience.

2. A nurse at different local surgery who cheerfully remarked whilst waving the speculum aloft, “see, men get much bigger than this!” Ugh!

3. Finally an innocent trip to get a diaphragm fitted at the local family planning centre who are supposedly specialists. The nurse who I saw first of all seemed to have no experience and could not get the right size after many attempts and apologies. She then asked if I would like to see the doctor who had more experience. I said yes. She then told me that the doctor had a student with him, a qualified GP, who was doing a FP course, would I mind her sitting in? I said ok then. BIG MISTAKE! The “student” was the most patronising woman I have ever met and she was dead against any idea of a diaphragm as well as having no experience fitting one. She lectured me at length about different methods when I had already had the same conversation with the nurse and my GP, read all the leaflets and made an informed decision based on my circumstances. She could not believe that I was capable of making up my own mind and she made me feel like an idiot and worse. She also strongly recommended contraceptive injections which considering I was changing from hormonal methods because they do not agree with me did not seem like a smart move.

When I first had to lay on the bed she made me cover my crotch with a piece of paper towel. This made me feel like she thought my genitals were something to be ashamed of. When the doctor went out of the room she asked if I was cold, would I like my coat over me. I said no thank you, it was not cold. She came over and draped my coat over me anyway to cover me up. Finally after many different tries from both her and the real doctor to it the diaphragm with her making comments about me as though I was a piece of meat I was so sore and humiliated that I could not take it any more and I told them that I wanted to stop. She then stayed in the curtained off area by the bed with me when I wanted to get dressed, still lecturing me about how a diaphragm was not a good method. I had to quite forcefully ask her to leave several times so that I could get dressed before she got the hint.

When I left the clinic I burst into tears on the street as I felt so frustrated at the way I had been patronised and humiliated by that woman and I have not been back.

Sorry for the long rant, my boyfriend does not understand how I feel about this and I have noone to talk to about it.

BTW- What the hell genious of a man figured the best way to treat one infection is to directly insert a drug into your vagina that causes different infection? I’m with a lot of you, if this were an affliction common to a man, there would be a better understanding of causes, prevention and treatment.

I would welcome any suggestions from anyone on washing techniques (especially after sex) they have found to work in reducing symptoms.

I am also prepared to start keeping a vagina diary. Noting what I ate, how I washed, if i had sex, etc that may help me to determine if there might be some specific cause. You know, be my vaginas own investigative reporter determined to uncover the infectious truth.