Most people don't mind going to their annual doctors' appointments. Sure, they can be a bit of a hassle, but they're just a normal part of life.
If you ask any woman which doctor she dreads seeing most, though, you're practically guaranteed to get the same answer: the gynecologist.
Even if you love your OB-GYN, it's never fun to have a cold steel device shoved into your vagina. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but it's just uncomfortable to have a relative stranger poking around down there.
Luckily, everything you hate about the steel speculum might be about to change.
Frog Design Inc. just created a new speculum design they claim will revolutionize pelvic exams.
They're still in the planning phase, but the new speculum (known as "yona") has already been making headlines.
Check out the design below — and just imagine a world where going to the gynecologist isn't so horrible!
[H/T: ScaryMommy]
Almost nobody likes going to to the gynecologist — pelvic exams are just never fun.
People complain about them to their friends, to their partners, and even (as you can see above) to their social media followers.
What many people don't know is that the design of the current speculum hasn't changed in over 150 years.
That's right, gynecologists have been using the same speculum since the 1800s.
Sure, there have been a few alternate designs, like this one made of plastic, but most doctors still use the steel one.
Now, a company has created a new speculum design: yona.
At first glance, the yona doesn't look hugely different from a traditional speculum.
Its features, however, are absolutely revolutionary.
Yona Care explains:
Vaginas are amazing. Taking care of them should be too.
There is no reason why the responsibility of caring for your vagina should involve such routine discomfort that many people delay, or even forgo, their pelvic exams. This fixable problem — one that a kickass group of women has set their sights on solving.
Yona is an early-stage experience design concept that reimagines the pelvic exam from a patient-centered perspective, beginning with the design of the speculum.
Our goal is to transform health care, one vagina at a time.
So, what are the elements of the redesign?
Improved Field Of View
3-leafed design provides a clear field-of-view without opening the speculum as wideRelaxed Handle Angle
Leaves space between the provider's hand and the exam table, eliminating "the last scootch"Single-Handed Operation
Thumb-press button unlocks/locks the speculum position, freeing up the provider's other hand
Concealed Locking
No visible screws that pinch and no audible clicking, ratcheting or clinkingMaterial Consideration
Stainless steel covered in autoclavable silicone, reducing coldness and making insertion less painfulLight Implementation
Light that slots into the handle (to be developed in the next phase)
Hopefully the design company will be able to move forward to start testing yona. It really seems like it could totally change all the uncomfortable parts of gynecology visits.
Would you like to try this new speculum design?
Please SHARE this article with your friends and family!
