A COMPARATIVE PILOT STUDY OF A FIVE BLADE SPECULUM (BOUQUET SPECULUM) AND TWO- BLADE TRADITIONAL VAGINAL SPECULUM: PATIENT COMFORTABILITY VERSUS CERVIX VISUALIZATION

Introduction: The vaginal speculum is an important tool used in cervical cancer prevention and control. This study compared patients' comfort, cervical visualization and ease of using the bouquet speculum to the traditional bivalve vaginal speculum during the cervical cancer screening procedure at National Hospital Abuja. Due to the need to improve cervical cancer screening attendance, exploring the comfortability, cervical visualization and ease of use of other improved speculums like the 5-petaled speculum referred to as the bouquet vaginal speculum made by Viospex, a newly innovated FDA-cleared disposable speculum is important.

Methodology: This study was an observational cross-sectional study which received ethical clearance with number NHA/EC/015/2024. The study randomized 40 women into two groups of 20 women per group. Group B were screened using the bouquet speculum while group A were screened with the traditional bivalve plastic Cusco speculum used routinely in the Gynecology clinic by trained healthcare workers who are Gynecology and Oncology nurses. The inclusion criteria included females 18 years of age or older, healthy females presenting for cervical cancer screening and females who consented to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria included females who never had a pelvic exam with the traditional bivalve speculum and those who did not consent to the study.

Results: The bouquet speculum was found not inferior in comparison to the traditional bivalve speculum with respect to the client or patient's comfort, visualization of the cervix, vagina, lateral walls and fornices and ease of application. More women reported being more comfortable with the bouquet speculum which was significant for patients' preference despite the pain scores that were noted to be higher for the bouquet speculum group. Mean pain score for group A vs. group B was 2.89 ±1.97 vs. 3.83 ±2.73 (t=1.205; p=0.236). Interestingly, 52.5% of the women had never had a Pap smear test.