A healthcare professional wearing blue gloves holds a transparent vaginal speculum, in a medical examination room with a green chair in the background.

The Role Of Vaginal Speculums

Posted On August 12th, 2024

Surgical Solutions

The Role Of Vaginal Speculums

Posted On August 12th, 2024

Surgical Solutions

A vaginal speculum is a medical device that many women will encounter during their lifetime, being most commonly used for cervical screenings and pelvic examinations. The concept of a vaginal speculum appears to pre-date even the Roman Empire1, although we’re pleased to say that the modern vaginal speculum is world’s away from the first iteration.

For such an essential medical instrument, knowledge and understanding of the role vaginal speculums play is largely limited among the general public. In this blog, we’ll explore what a vaginal speculum is and why they are so important for Women’s Health, also going through some common misconceptions you might hear about them.

Vaginal Speculums: Understanding These Vital Tools

A vaginal speculum is a ‘duck-bill shaped medical device’,2 designed to allow a healthcare professional to see inside the body and gain better access to examine and carry out medical procedures (if necessary).

Typically made from plastic or metal, vaginal speculums are used in a number of different procedures, including:

As mentioned earlier, vaginal speculums in some form date back as far as the Roman Empire¹. Luckily, we’ve seen incredible developments in their technology and design to create safer and more comfortable speculums, including several unbreakable options*.

Roman Empire version of the Vaginal Speculum

Roman Vaginal Speculum, 100 BCE-400 CE

Vernacare's Ultraspec Screening speculum in Medium

Modern Day Vernacare Ultraspec^® Screening Speculum

There are many different types of vaginal speculums used by medical professionals across the globe, with different functions and speculum sizes for each one:

Cusco Speculum - The cusco-style speculum is the most common type of speculum you will likely see when attending a hospital or GP appointment in the UK or Europe. These speculums are available in both metal and plastic options, and are typically used for smear tests, IUD procedures, and vaginal examinations.
Wintertons Speculum - A wintertons speculum has a similar design and function to a cusco speculum, however they typically have a longer beak.
Sims Speculum - A sims speculum has a different shape to what may be seen as the typical speculum, and is a dual-ended instrument designed to further retract the posterior vaginal walls.

Why Are Vaginal Speculums So Important for Women’s Health?

Vaginal speculums are incredibly important medical instruments when it comes to women’s health. They play a vital role in the NHS cervical screening programme, which is a crucial initiative for reducing the rates of cervical cancer developing.

A cervical screening usually involves a vaginal speculum being placed inside the patient’s vagina. A small swab is then used to gather cells from inside the cervix which are then sent off to the lab to be tested for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Some strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer, so it’s important that all eligible people attend smear tests and monitor any abnormal cell changes.

Without a vaginal speculum, such as those in our Ultraspec® range, this type of medical procedure would be much more difficult, and in some cases, virtually impossible. Cells need to be gathered from the cervix directly, so clear access is needed.

The Capabilities of Vernacare Tools

Our Vernacare vaginal speculums are designed with comfort and confidence in mind, made from plastic, which patients tend to see as the most comfortable option3, these speculums are unbreakable in normal use*.

Developed and manufactured in the UK with extensive input from professionals, each product feature in our Ultraspec® and EcoGold® ranges has been carefully considered to offer increased patient comfort and safety - improving the experience for both the patient and the practitioner.

Here are some reasons why you should consider using our Ultraspec speculum tools:

Unbreakable* in normal use - Shockingly, 5% of people have experienced a vaginal speculum breaking on them during a cervical screening⁴, which may also lead to bleeding after a smear. Not only is this incredibly upsetting for the patient and practitioner, but it can be very dangerous. Manufactured from advanced polymer, our range of vaginal speculums are proven to be unbreakable* in normal speculum exams and are able to be forced down without the device shattering or breaking.

Clear view and access - A long nut and runner allows for increased visibility and clear instrument access for vaginal examinations and procedures, with the beaks locking into place for easy use by the practitioner.

Wide range of sizes - All our vaginal speculums are available in a wide range of sizes, including Extra-Small, Small, Medium, Medium-Long, Large, and Broad, to cater for different patient and procedure needs. Offering different sizing options improves patient comfort, and can reduce anxiety around examinations.

Large non-slip grip - The Ultraspec, EcoGold and Instraspec vaginal speculums feature a grooved, non-slip handle, ensuring strong, enhanced grip for practitioners during use.

100% Latex Free - All our vaginal speculums are manufactured without natural rubber latex, offering peace of mind for any patients with a latex allergy.

Disposable speculums - All Vernacare’s vaginal speculums are disposable, designed for single-use only. Disposable speculums reduce the cross-infection risk, and can save time and money without the additional costs associated with sterilisation. The reprocessing of reusable speculums can also release unhealthy toxins and chemicals into the environment.⁵

Comfort and Consent: A Patient Centric Experience for All

Our vaginal speculums are designed to offer improved patient comfort. The host of product features included as standard in our Ultraspec, EcoGold, and Instraspec Contour speculums offer a safer solution for all patients to experience.

A plastic, single-use vaginal speculum has been identified as the most comfortable option for vaginal procedures.³

Empowering Women Through Awareness and Education

As we mentioned at the beginning, the vaginal speculum is a widely used tool - yet many are unaware of its benefits and usage. Through education and awareness, we can dispel many of the myths and uncertainties surrounding vaginal speculums and the examination procedure itself, in turn reducing cervical screening anxiety levels.

One way to begin to raise awareness and understanding of vaginal specula is through initial explanations at appointments from the healthcare professional. Many common procedures such as smear tests take an average of 5 minutes to complete, giving extra time for the practice nurse or doctor to discuss the procedure and the speculum tools prior to the examination. Patients should feel encouraged and empowered to ask questions before, during and after the procedure. Open communication between patients and healthcare providers can build trust and make the experience less intimidating for all.⁶

Preparing for an upcoming pelvic examination can be key to reducing anxiety and uncertainty around these procedures. The NHS provides online support guides for cervical screenings, and we’ve also previously shared an article on overcoming the barriers to cervical screenings, outlining what happens at a cervical screening, as well as strategies for alleviating fear and anxiety.

Addressing Common Misconceptions About Vaginal Speculums

All vaginal speculums are made of cold metal

Although metal speculums do have their place in medical procedures (particularly when it comes to theatre and specialist surgical procedures), plastic vaginal speculums are the most commonly used in clinics for routine tests such as cervical screenings.⁷ As we’ve explained above, Vernacare boasts the UK’s largest range of unbreakable* vaginal speculums, all made from advanced polymers.

‘Virgin’ speculums

Historically, extra-small speculums were referred to as ‘virgin’ size. We’re pleased that there has been a terminology shift, and the smallest speculum size is now rightly referred to as ‘extra-small’.

There is no correlation between virginity and the size of the vaginal speculum needed, and an extra-small speculum can be used on a variety of patients - regardless of their sexual history. It is a common misconception that an older patient may be required to have a larger speculum used on them - this is not the case, and your practitioner should always select the most suitable size speculum based on your anatomy alone. You can discuss your desired speculum size with your practitioner before you begin any procedure.

Plastic speculums can break - It’s only made of plastic?

This isn’t technically a misconception, as speculums made from certain plastics can break. In a recent survey we conducted, 5% of respondents had actually experienced a speculum breaking during an appointment⁴. We believe that all vaginal speculums should be unbreakable as standard, and our full range of plastic vaginal speculums are made from advanced polymers which are unbreakable in normal use.

Looking Ahead to the Future of Vaginal Speculums

The design and concept of the vaginal speculum has thankfully come a long way since its first iteration, and continual innovations are always underway to better improve the patient and practitioner experience.

Fostering a culture of awareness and understanding around the vaginal speculum can ensure that patients are fully informed about the tools used in their care. We also hope that it will empower them to attend future pelvic examinations such as smear tests.

At Vernacare, we’re committed to improving the patient experience and providing healthcare professionals with the confidence that they are using the best medical instruments for their patients. Through our continued innovations and investments (including the acquisition of Splice Cast in December 2023), we’ve bolstered our women’s health portfolio with the UK’s largest range of unbreakable* vaginal speculums.

We also continually offer expert training and education packages through our online learning platform, the Vernacare Academy.

Contact us today to enquire about our large range of unbreakable* vaginal speculums.

*Our speculums are manufactured from advanced polymers which are unbreakable in normal use, independently tested by SMTL – the Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory.

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