The doctor smiled reassuringly. “Alright, Briony, we’re moving on to the next part of the exam. I’m going to ask you to put the gown back on for now, but then I’ll need you to remove your lower underwear. Have you ever had any kind of pelvic exam before, Briony?” he asked gently.

She shook her head, a little unsure. “No,” she replied quietly.

“That’s okay,” the doctor said with a grin. “I’ll guide you through everything step-by-step, so you know exactly what’s happening. I’ll also check in with you throughout the process to make sure you’re feeling okay. It’s a good sign that you’re taking care of your health by coming in for this exam. I’ll be as gentle as possible.”

Briony nodded, feeling a little nervous but trusting the doctor’s calm tone. “Once you’re ready,” he continued, “I’d like you to lie back on the table, and I’ll ask you to place your legs nice and wide in the stirrups to give me access for the exam. You’ll want to scoot your bottom right down to the edge of the table, like you're sitting at the very tip, so I can get a clear view of everything.”

He paused for a moment to make sure she was comfortable with what he was saying. “It’s normal to feel a little nervous about this, but the exam will only take a few minutes, and I’ll explain each step along the way so you know what to expect.”

Once Briony had adjusted herself and her legs were in the stirrups, the doctor gave Briony another reassuring smile. "Now that you’re in position, we’ll start with a gentle examination of the external genitals - so your vulva and labia. I’m going to begin by palpating, meaning I’ll gently feel the area with my fingers. I’ll be checking the folds of skin around your vaginal opening, don't worry I’ll go slowly.”

The doctor carefully pressed against the labia and vulva, pinching her lips gently in between his fingers. “You may feel some pressure or slight discomfort, but I’ll stop if you feel anything that’s too uncomfortable. If you need to let me know anything at any time, just speak up, and we’ll adjust. It’s good to be aware of any tenderness or changes in texture, which is why we do this step,” he explained.

“Next, I’ll be observing the pattern of your pubic hair growth. We do this to make sure everything is developing normally.” He saw Briony blush as he raked his fingers through the damp hair..

“There’s no need to feel self-conscious; I’m just making a note of your natural hair growth to ensure everything is as expected. Do you wax or shave?"

"I shave my bikini line" muttered Briony as the doctor stroked the skin where her thighs met her pubic region.

"Good stuff. OK I'm going to use both my hands to gently pull your labia and vulva taut, which allows me to visualise your urethra where you pee from." Briony felt incredibly exposed as her skin was tugged to maximum exposure. "And I'd like you to give me three nice big coughs." Briony gave a first cough. "Deeper than that please Briony." Briony managed to cough harder. "OK great, no urine spurted out which means you have no incontinence issues, which is what we would expect at your age." Briony felt a brief wave of relief.

“All right, Briony, we’re going to move on to the bimanual exam now. I’m going to use two fingers to gently check the inside of your vagina, and I’ll press on your lower abdomen with my other hand.”

Briony nodded, trying not to tense up.“When I insert my fingers, you might feel a bit of pressure, but it shouldn’t hurt. I’m going to rotate my fingers inside gently to feel the position and size of your uterus and ovaries. Don't worry I'm going to put lots of lube on my fingers so they slide in easily."

Briony tried to relax as he slowly began the exam. She felt a little pressure as his cold, slippery fingers were inserted, but the doctor moved slowly. “You might feel me move around a little as I rotate my fingers,” he explained. “That’s just to feel the position, shape and texture of your organs, and it’ll help me make sure everything feels normal. I’m just checking for any tenderness or swelling,” he said. “If anything feels uncomfortable or if you need me to stop, just let me know. You’re doing great.”

He then pressed his other hand on her lower abdomen, and she felt the odd sensation of him trying to meet his hands through her abdominal wall. "This just allows me to check all of your pelvic organs are in the right places! And make sure there aren't any lumps or bumps we don't like."

After a moment, the doctor slid his fingers out. “That’s all done,” he said, stepping back and making notes on the chart. “You did really well, and everything feels normal.” The doctor smiled kindly and spoke gently. “Now, Briony, we’re going to move on to the speculum exam. What I’m going to do is insert a this instrument called a speculum into your vagina. It’s a tool that helps me see your cervix.”

He showed her a shiny steel speculum and demonstrated how the speculum would unscrew and lever open in a slow, controlled motion. “It only stays open for a short time while I examine the cervix and take some samples, and then it will be removed. The cervix is located at the top of the vagina. It’s the opening to your uterus, and I’ll be able to see it once the speculum is in place.”

As he began the exam, she felt the coolness of the speculum as he inserted it slowly and gently. Briony felt a bit of pressure as the speculum was opened wider, but it wasn’t painful, although weird and made her want to wriggle. “Once I’ve got the speculum in place, I’ll be able to see the cervix clearly and check for any abnormalities. It might feel tough as I adjust the position, but I’ll go slowly to minimize any pain.” As the speculum reached it's widest point, Briony felt discomfort radiate through her vagina but bit her lip to stop herself from crying out.

“Okay, you're being super brave and I can see your cervix now. Everything looks healthy here.”

He paused for a moment, glancing at Briony with a reassuring smile. “By the way, I noticed a little discharge in the gusset of your underwear earlier. That’s perfectly normal! Discharge can vary throughout your menstrual cycle, and it’s a healthy sign of your body’s natural processes.” Briony blushed at this intimate observation. "Now that I can see your cervix, I’m going to take a couple of small swabs to test for any nasty bacteria or infections and do a Pap smear. This is a key part of the exam to check for any changes in your cervix that might suggest the early stages of cancer, but it’s very common and very safe.”

He continued, “I’ll use a small brush-like tool to gently collect cells from the surface of your cervix. It’s quick, and you might feel a bit of a light scraping or pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful.” Briony thought it was pretty painful but tried not to whine.

Once the sample was taken, the doctor said, “That’s the Pap smear. Now, I’ll use a separate swab to check for any infections, like yeast or bacteria. This might feel a little different, but it will only take a moment.” He used a separate swab to gently collect a sample from the vaginal walls, it was so strange to here the wooden stick jangle against the speculum and have something prod her sideways in her actual vagina.

After the swabs were taken, he said, “All done! The samples will be sent to the lab, and you’ll get the results in a week or two. Most results come back normal.” The withdrawal of the speculum was more intense than Briony expected, she felt immediate heat pulse through her pelvis as her warm vaginal walls met again after the coldness of the spread speculum.

The doctor smiled reassuringly. “All right, Briony, we’re almost done. I’m now going to do a quick rectovaginal exam. It's almost as bad as it sounds - I’ll be using one or two fingers inside your vagina and another finger in your rectum. This might feel a little different, but it’s an important part of the exam to check for any irregularities in the wall between your vagina and your tushy. You ready?" Briony replied with a squeaky "yes"

“Good stuff Briony. I’m going to begin by gently inserting my finger into your vagina. This is similar to the feeling you had during the bimanual exam earlier. Once that’s in place, I’ll slowly insert my other finger into your rectum. I’m going to apply light pressure as I feel for the tissue in that area, just to check for any abnormalities like lumps, tenderness, or anything unusual.”

As the doctor gently moved his fingers, Briony did feel some pressure, but it wasn’t unbearable. The doctor paused for a moment to ensure she was okay. “You’re doing great,” he said with a reassuring smile. “Just a little longer.” She tried not to whimper. "I want to get a slightly firmer feel now, so I'm going to use more lubricant and you'll feel two fingers in each opening. Hang tight ok?" Briony couldn't help but buck her hips a bit as she felt two fingers enter each of her holes. The doctor moved his free hand from pulling one buttock aside to the top of her pelvis, "Hold still ok, I'm nearly done." He moved his hand firmly back and forth, filling what seemed like every inch of her.

Once he had completed the exam, the doctor removed his fingers gently and gave Briony a moment to compose herself. “That’s all done,” he said, stepping back. "I'm going to smear my fingers onto this little card here and that will also be sent off to the lab to check for traces of blood in your stool, althought none are visible to me." Briony was grossed out but relieved this part was finished.