COMMUNITY
Feminist center pelvic exam comfortable
By Lla Salclccla
Oragon Daily f mar aid
One tiny Inst Decombor. I
found myself in nn uncomfort
able situation. It was time for my
annual pelvic exam, and there I
was. at the Student Health Cen
ter, flat on my back, my feet in
the cold stirrups
It was hard to see the doctor
and I had no idea what ho was
doing with his instruments that
poked, prodded and scraped at
mo. but I tried to peer up at him
and his work anyway, so that I
might catch a clue of what was
going on.
lust then, a woman with a
stack of files breezed into the
room, and tho doctor lifted his
eyes away from the work his
hand was doing as he discussed
someone else's case with the
woman.
Feeling like an automobile
that is temporarily abandoned
while the mechanic takes his
coffee break. I swore that I'd
never again put myself into a sit
uation where I felt so small and
so violated.
That's why I accepted an offer
from the Feminist Women's
Health Center of Eugene to go
through a routine annual exam.
The development director.
Sally Sheklow, Mid il offered an
approach leading to empower
ment rather than discomfort or
victimization. I. like all of the
clients, was told to ask as many
questions as I could think of
before, during and after the
exam.
I arrived at the Feminist
Women’s Health Center in the
morning and was greeted by the
standard smile and forms to fill
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out. A dish
of condoms
sal on the
counter,
with a sign
that says
"Free. Help
Yourself."
So I do.
;>oon aner.
I was called into the back by Rita
Conway, a naturopathic physi
cian.
"Whafs that?" 1 asked my first
question, and she told me that
she is a licensed primary care
provider, meaning she diagnoses
and treats disease using a combi
nation of standard medicine and
alternative therapies. Only eight
states, including Oregon, license
this type of care provider.
The exam began, and as Rita
took my blood pressure, pulse,
heart and lungs, I remembered
that this was an examination to
see that my whole body was run
ning smoothly, not just to see if
one part functions.
I only had to undress from the
waist down, and I felt loss vul
nerable with only half of my
body naked under the drape.
Before I knew it, the breast
exam part was over and it was
time for the part that makes my
stomach lurch in unpleasant
anticipation — the Pap smear.
The name itself conjures up for
gotten images of the jeering boys
who got to play outside while
the girls had to stay in the class
room and watch the embarrass
ing "girl movie."
Rita explains to me that a Pap
smear screens for cervical can
cer. venereal warts and active
herpes cells. So onto the table I
went, trying not to flinch. But I
was soon distracted by the
absence of the cold metal stir
rups that always make me feel
like a prisoner.
They were replaced by con
traptions over which 1 draped
my knees. The physician then
pushed a button, and my back
was suddenly raised upright, as
if I were on one of those
adjustable IrhIs seen in commer
cials As she put a small mirror
into mv hand, I realized with a
start that I'll be able to watch the
whole thing!
Turn to EXAM, Page 8
CORRECTION
In the Sept, 27 issue of the
Emerald, it was incorrectly stat
ed that the $50 late-registration
fee had tmeii abolished. The lato
registration fee is a now fee that
was instituted this year for stu
dents who enroll after the fourth
day of classes. The story should
have said the $50 late-tuition
payment fee was abolished.
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