Dutch Engineers Redesign Dreaded Vaginal Speculum for Comfort
The cold, hard, metallic vaginal speculum, long associated with discomfort during gynaecological exams, is getting a compassionate redesign by two engineers at Delft University in the Netherlands.
Recognising the fear and pain many patients feel during examinations, researchers, including Tamara Hoveling, are rethinking the decades-old design to create a speculum that is less intimidating and less painful.
“I have a lot of experience with the vaginal speculum, unfortunately,” Hoveling told AFP. “I’ve never seen it as a pleasurable experience and I’ve always wondered why it looks like this.”
The redesign aims to improve patient comfort without compromising the essential medical function of the instrument, reflecting a growing movement in healthcare to prioritise patient-centred care and dignity.
