Today, I was just going back to get my birth control refilled for the year, and I had already got a Pap smear last year. And so when I got there the attendant was like “undress and get ready for your pap” and I was like “Oh I actually got one last year.” And she said that they do one EVERY year, not every three years.

And so I was like “I’m really just here to get my birth control refilled; can I just talk to the doctor and opt out?” and she was like “Let me check with him and ask”. And so she left for a little bit and then came back and said “Okay, he said you don’t have to do a pap to get your birth control refilled, but you do have to still get a breast exam and a pelvic exam.” I thought “Okay, whatever, if I have to I have to, I’m already here, at least I don’t have to get scraped.”

And so she went to tell the doctor and he eventually came in and asked if I had any questions and confirmed that I was getting my birth control refilled AND confirmed that I wasn’t getting a pap today. And I said yes to both of those things, and so he did the breast exam first and everything was fine. And then he went to do the pelvic exam but before he did it, HE DID THE PAP SMEAR ANYWAY. CERVICAL SCRAPE AND FORCEPS AND ALL. and THEN he did the pelvic exam!

And I was thinking “there’s no way he confirmed with me that we weren’t doing it and then did it anyways???”

And as he was leaving he was just like “you’ll get your pap results in a few days” and I was like FUCKING GREAT THANKS. I did pull the nurse aside who showed me to my room and I was like “hey this was super uncool” and she apologized and said she really did tell him and said that she’d leave a note in my file to just do a pelvic exam and a breast exam next year and NOT a pap. But like…..how much stock can I really put in that note after today????? On the other hand, I know that paps are preventative and overall good for my health, so maybe I’m making a bigger deal about it than I should be.

I’m spotting and cramping right now (as is normal after a pap) and every time I feel a pain flash I’m pissed again because I feel like it shouldn’t be happening to me in the first place.

I was originally thinking that I need to blast him on Nextdoor, on Google, anywhere else that someone might see it who’s planning on visiting the office, but now I’m wondering if I should go straight to the medical board and file an official report about it. AITA if I do?

ETA: Thank you all so much for your support and your responses tonight. I feel way less crazy after reading some of what you all have said. I’d like to say that I’ve gone ahead and filed a complaint with the state medical board, and I’m hoping that they take it as seriously as I do.