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23rd May 2025
04:50pm BST
Many women in Ireland will agree that our healthcare system is not on our side. We are often made to feel like second-class citizens or 'hysterical nuisances' for asking for the bare minimum, but we've all come to realise that if we don't raise our voices, then nothing is going to change.
Countless activists have campaigned for better medical care and support for women in Ireland, but we continue to experience dismissive medical professionals, a desperate lack of resources, and a stigma that hangs over us at every appointment.
There's a pressure on Irish women, one that has been around for what feels like forever, to not make a fuss. Don't be dramatic, don't be demanding, don't ask for too much, don't be so emotional. Many of us will have health issues dismissed because we're female.
Doctors will undermine our pain or ignore how severe our problems may be because of the stigma that lingers. The stigma that makes us feel like our health woes aren't as important because we're women, but it's something that desperately needs to change.
Nobody understands the urgency of that change quite like mum-of-two Aimee Wills. Aimee recently went viral after bravely opening up about a distressing medical appointment she had.
The mum spoke to Her.ie, about the harrowing experience and why she's sharing her story in a bid to make a change.
Aimee was attending a follow-up appointment after her smear test detected abnormal cells. During the appointment, the doctor told her they were going to do a biopsy following a smear test.
Aimee had previously had biopsies for separate health issues and expected the doctor to give her local anesthetic, but that was not the case this time.
"He literally just went straight into it, and that was it. I went into shock. I didn't faint or anything like that, but I was very close to it."
Aimee said the biopsy was "the most horrific thing" she's ever had done and said the pain was even more severe than childbirth.
The mum admitted she was stunned by how quickly it all happened and said she wasn't even offered a drink of water or painkillers before the cervical biopsy happened. They just sent her on her way, leaving her shaken and sobbing in her car after.
@aimeeeewills we as women are living in pure medieval times unfortunately and it’s 2025 :) disgraceful
♬ original sound - aimee wills
Like many Irish women, Aimee felt completely disregarded by the healthcare system. A feeling many of us can relate to. The influx of messages and comments she received from women who went through similar experiences was shocking, the influencer shared.
Aimee hopes her story will help make a change because Irish women deserve appropriate care and the same respect as any other patient.
She has launched a petition to introduce both pain relief and informed consent during all cervical procedures.
"Everyone is different, and if people just find it uncomfortable and not painful, then that's fine; they don't need to take it. It's not just the odd person that is experiencing this, it's the majority."
"Thousands of women in Ireland are undergoing cervical procedures, such as biopsies, colposcopies, and LLETZ—without pain relief or proper informed consent. This is a failure in women’s healthcare—and it’s happening silently, in clinics and hospitals across the country."
-Mandate pain relief options for all invasive cervical procedures
-Require informed consent with clear explanations of what to expect
-Ensure emotional support and aftercare are part of standard treatment
"Women deserve dignity, choice, and care. Pain should never be the price we pay for preventative healthcare," she shared.
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