Not marking this as NSFW because it’s about health, but mods please let me know if you think it should be and I will change it.
Health screenings are so important so I don’t want to put anyone off them, but has anyone else found them more difficult as you’ve gotten older?
Just had my cervical screening and it hurt like hell this time. Last couple of times have been fine. Not sure if it was the nurse or if I’m just more sensitive today or if it’s a normal thing to find it more painful. I figure if it is the latter then it’s good to be aware.
I’d guess the change on cervical exam was the nurse/doctor that did it. But as we get older, there is less natural lubrication (probably why they use gallons of lube on the speculum). If it happens next time, mention it to the doc/nurse. They can give suggestions for making it less painful (assuming they don’t suck, and tell you it’s all in your head). IIRC where you are in your cycle can also play a role (don’t quote me on that).
To answer your original questions, I think they generally get more invasive, so yeah, but as technology has improved, exams have become far less awful overall.
It could also be that they’ve used a larger speculum. Makes a huge difference.