Terrified (sexual abuse mentioned)

mcvicks

After several months of clomid I need to take the next step in our fertility journey. Honestly, I'm terrified. Absolutely petrified. I HATE going to the OBGYN. I was sexually abused as a child and have a hard time with pelvic exams and even sex sometimes. I need to make an appointment for a reproductive endocrinologist, but I don't know what to expect or how to prepare. Any advice would be helpful.

soccergirl23

Hi @mcvicks I'm so sorry to hear about that, you're so strong for having gone through all of that. My recommendation would to be very upfront, open and honest with whatever RE that you speak to and make sure that you find a clinic you feel comfortable with. The IUI and IVF treatment processes definitely rely a lot on ultrasounds, but you may be able to ask for external instead of internal ones. Every site is very different with their procedures and protocols, but I have found that the REs are very willing to work with patients on an individual basis since everyone's background and infertility situations are so different. My recommendation would be to begin reaching out to clinics and making preliminary appointments and provide your background to see how they can make you feel as comfortable as possible. I hope that helps in some way.

sawasap

@mcvicks I agree with @soccergirl23, if you’re comfortable enough to explain why you have a hard time with these exams, they may already have procedures in place to make it as easy as they can. At my clinic, any time there was anything internal, the nurse/tech/doctor would always ask for my consent to start - would something like that help? I wish you all the best and I hope they can work with you to make this as easy as it can be.