The impact of gentle language on pain perception during colposcopy: a randomized controlled trial

To determine whether language and word choice can reduce patients' perception of pain experienced during colposcopy with biopsies.

Women reporting for colposcopy at an academic medical center were randomized to hear standard language or gentle, non-pain-based language during colposcopy with biopsy and/or endocervical curettage. Participants then rated their pain during the procedure on a 10-cm visual analog scale. The pain scores among the 2 groups were compared using a Student t test.

Both women hearing standard language and those hearing gentle language during colposcopy reported low pain during the procedure (3.1 and 2.9, respectively), which was not significantly different between groups (p=.80).

Although gentle language has been shown to effectively reduce pain associated with other procedures, it did not reduce the pain associated with colposcopy and biopsies in this study.