Gynecologist Asks Women for Input, Gets 1,000+ Replies

Dr. Ryan Stewart did something rare in medicine: he asked patients what they actually wanted.

The urogynecologist posed a simple question on social media while designing his new office. "How would you design a visit to the gynecologist's office? No detail is too small," he wrote. Thousands of women responded within hours.

Their answers revealed something powerful. Women wanted doctors to ask about sexual trauma before exams, not during them. They wanted to consent to observers without those observers standing in the room. They wanted to get dressed before discussing their diagnosis.

The requests weren't demanding or unreasonable. They were achingly simple.

One woman described finally meeting a gynecologist who introduced himself while she was clothed, performed the exam, then discussed care in his office afterward. "I remember how much more respected and comfortable I felt," she wrote. She had to specifically request this basic dignity at every previous appointment.

Other women asked for warmed speculums instead of cold metal ones. They wanted exam tables that lowered for people with mobility issues. They asked for medical posters showing diverse bodies, not just white ones. A 53-year-old woman wrote that she had never once seen herself represented in any doctor's office imagery.

Some requests highlighted overlooked pain. Women wanted pain medication offered for IUD insertions and biopsies, not just available if they knew to ask. They wanted waiting rooms without overwhelming pink decor, which one breast cancer patient found triggering during her scariest medical moments.

Dr. Stewart listened to every suggestion. When commenters pointed out he should have said "folks who need gynecologic care" instead of "women," he immediately acknowledged his mistake and thanked them for the correction.

The Ripple Effect

His question inspired other doctors to follow his lead. An oncologist soon posted a similar question about making cancer appointments more comfortable. The conversation revealed a simple truth: patients have always known how to improve healthcare, but few doctors think to ask.

Dr. Stewart's practice philosophy states he wants patients to leave "feeling as though you've learned more about yourself." His viral thread proved he's equally invested in learning from them.

Sometimes the most revolutionary act in medicine is simply asking the people you're treating what they need.