title: Aspects of emotional and physical discomfort in gynecologic examination: a study of Turkish women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine physical and emotional discomforts experienced before and after a gynecologic examination by women who presented to the outpatient clinic of the gynecology and obstetrics department at a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample of study was composed of 248 women. Data were collected with a survey form developed by researchers. T-test and variance analysis were used in statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Emotional discomfort before the examination was felt by 80.2% of the women, while 80.6% stated they felt emotional discomfort after the examination. Physical discomfort before the examination was experienced by 67.3% of the women, while 76.6% stated that they felt physical discomfort after the examination. The emotional discomfort mean score was 5.02 ± 3.24 before examination and 4.62 ± 3.23 after examination (P > 0.05). The physical discomfort mean score was 3.38 ± 3.12 before examination and 3.94 ± 3.02 after examination and the difference between mean scores was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The women felt more physical discomfort during the examination than they anticipated beforehand. The emotional discomfort in women who preferred a female physician was significantly higher than in those who preferred a male physician or who had no preference on the sex of their physician.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nilufer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tugut
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Golbasi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058869:Gynecological Examination / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Turkish women; emotional discomfort; gynecologic examination; physical discomfort