Abstract

Authoress Eve Ensler has The Vagina Monologues, but why stop there? There is so much more to a woman’s vagina, but what about the comfort or wow zone? What about what happens when a woman goes to see her OB/GYN doctor to have an annual Pap smear done with the pain and anxiety that comes before, during, and after the exam? This is just one of the areas that needs to be explored by experts and professionals who work in female health and reproductive fields so that women feel comfortable speaking about every and any part of their body. Women experience sufficient stress, anxiety, and pain with their womanhood, so why not address what could make their annual Pap smear exam less stressful and painful? Approach: This article will discuss one of the many areas in which practitioners who specialize in the fields of women’s sexual and reproductive health have yet to shed light on and what women have yet to make known to their OB/GYN doctor. Addressing this issue begins with two questions: what is a Pap smear and what is an OB/GYN doctor? In addendum, the question of what is important about having a Pap smear procedure done and some of the many names and or phrases used to refer to the vagina and everything womanly attached to it and interview accounts are used to note how women view Pap smears. Findings: When it comes to being a woman and learning how to cope with aspects of their womanhood and anything that causes them discomfort, women are the only ones who have the power to know what the thought and feel of a Pap smear exam does to them.