Intimate patient examinations: The awareness, acceptance and practice preference of transvaginal ultrasound scan among women in a South-southern State of Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVS) is a relatively new routine intimate examination in Nigeria carried out only in fertility clinics, specialist radio-diagnostic centres and a few public hospitals. It is a procedure, which many patients find intrusive and may result in anxiety. The gender of the practitioner and the presence of a third person in the room may influence patient's acceptance to undergo the procedure. Centres offering this service do not routinely ask for the patient's opinion, which negates the patient-centred care principle. The aim of this study is to assess women's awareness, acceptance and practice preference of TVS to get their opinion about the preferred gender of sonologist and presence of a third person during the procedure in comparison to other intimate examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a questionnaire-based prospective survey involving women referred for various indications to the radiology department of a Navy Hospital in south-southern Nigeria for 1 month. RESULTS: We recruited 204 women. Although only 20.6% knew about TVS, 98.5% accepted to undergo TVS. Forty-six percent were indifferent about the gender of the sonologist, while 45% and 9% preferred a female and a male, respectively. About 50.3% wanted a third person in the room during the TVS and majority preferred their husbands (44.7%) to a chaperone (35.8%). CONCLUSION: The awareness of TVS is low, but it enjoys wide acceptance. Patient's preference for practitioner's gender and chaperone use are variable similar to findings from other intimate examinations, so consent should be sought before the procedure.