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Updated: Feb 15, 2026
Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
Factors associated with participant and provider pain rating during office-based first-trimester vacuum aspiration
Johana D Oviedo1, N Tanya Ohly1, Jacqueline M Guerrero1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Objective:
The objective was to describe factors associated with reported pain and assess correlations between participant and provider pain assessments during first-trimester vacuum aspiration.
Study Design:
Participants and providers in a trial evaluating music for pain reduction reported procedure-related pain using a 100-mm visual analog scale.
Results:
The mean participant-reported maximum pain was 65.9±23.0 compared to 41.3±22.0 by provider assessment. Provider-reported scores correlated poorly with participant maximum pain (r=0.28) and participant maximum pain adjusted for baseline (r=0.27). Previous abortion (60.5 versus 71.4, p=.02) and immediate intrauterine device insertion (46.1 versus 68.6, p=.03) were associated with lower participant-reported pain.
Conclusions:
Providers underestimate pain reported during vacuum aspiration; provider estimates correlate poorly with participant self-report.
Implications:
To improve management of pain during first-trimester vacuum aspiration, we need to better understand factors that influence patient and provider pain rating. When assessing patient pain in this setting, providers should not assume a baseline of zero pain.
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