Why do my pelvic exams hurt so much? i am a 19 year old female, sexually active but safe, and on the nuvaring. i was diagnosed with pid about two months ago and was treated, but once symptoms started to show again i scheduled another appointment. i had ne

Unfortunately, : Unfortunately, gynecological exams aren't necessarily very comfortable for anyone! that being said, pid can make your cervix and uterus extra sensitive thus making the exam extremely painful. Actually, one of the symptoms of pid is a very painful exam - so don't think that every exam will feel like that! this should resolve once the infection is treated. One of the other most common reasons for pain with exam is that your muscles around the opening of your vagina might be very tense. Since your first experience with an exam was during pid, you may be unconsciously tensing your muscles from the memory of how bad it hurt before. By practicing relaxation techniques such as breathing deeply or trying to relax your legs in the stirrups during the exam may help with the discomfort. Also, discuss this with your doctor. You are not the first, nor the last woman to have this exact problem. Your doctor may have other helpful suggestions to make your exams more comfortable.