"My Clitoris...It Ruptured" — For Years, Doctors Told This Woman Her Pain Was Just A UTI, And It's Another Horrendous Example Showing The Impact Of Women's Pain Being Dismissed
"I feel like doctors are taught to trust their books more than their patients."
Melita Stutsman is a 23-year-old woman who recently shared a horrific story about how doctors misdiagnosed her for years, writing off her clitoral pain as a UTI.
Melita drew the attention of nearly 5 million people as she explained what happened in her TikTok, "After 10 years of being misdiagnosed and what I would say is negligent care by different doctors, I finally have a diagnosis to a reoccurring problem I've been having. SPOILER ALERT: IT'S NOT GOOD."
"So, this all started 10 years ago when I was 14. I had some discomfort one day. I told my mom, she took me to the doctor, who said, 'Oh, it's a UTI. We'll get you some antibiotics and it'll go away.' I took the antibiotics, it went away. That was that."
"Fast-forward to when I'm 20, it came back. It came back but it came back so bad that it was uncomfortable when I walked. So, I went to an actual gynecologist this time. Gynecologist also said it's a UTI, 'It looks like you've had one before so we will just give you a stronger dose of antibiotics because you're saying this is worse.' I took the antibiotics, it went away, that was whatever. That was in October of 2018."
"Let's skip to this March. So, I'm 23 now. In the span of 24 hours, my clitoris swelled to the size of a grape. It was causing me so much pain that I had to miss a day of work to go to the doctor because it was so bad. So she checked me out and said it was another UTI. She took a couple of swabs just to make sure there were no infections but said that it's probably just a really horrible UTI."
"She prescribed more antibiotics, I went home, I stopped by the pharmacy on my way. I took the first dose that night and while I was trying to sleep — with seven ibuprofen and an ice pack between my legs — with my knees propped up because nothing could be touching this thing and it was still the worst pain of my life...there's no easy way to say this, it ruptured."
"IT RUPTURED. MY CLITORIS. IT RUPTURED. There was puss, there was blood, it was a whole thing. Amazingly enough though, after the initial pain, it felt so much better because all of that was off of what it was hurting. I finished off the antibiotics and I didn't think it was going to be a problem, but the lesion didn't go away where it ruptured."
"I called my doctor and left a voicemail — they never called me back. So, I called and got an appointment a couple of days ago with a different doctor. As it turns out, this whole time, I have had a cyst and it keeps getting infected. So now I have to have it removed," she concluded in her TikTok.
BuzzFeed spoke to Melita, who said that the misdiagnosis of her pain for so many years has been beyond frustrating. "If they found the cyst before it ruptured, it would’ve been less of a daily struggle and more of a bad memory by now. I feel like doctors are taught to trust their books more than their patients. When you meet a new doctor, they’ll say, 'Let’s keep an eye on it.' But, deep down, you know it’s not normal and you shouldn’t have to wait any longer."
Melita explained that what she has on her clit is called an epidermoid inclusion cyst. "It's rare enough that my doctor needed a second doctor to confirm what they were seeing. It’s important I share my story so other women who may suffer the same fate know what to ask their doctor."
"I really wish doctors would take their time to listen to their patients. When we mention family history, pain, something being abnormal, or having a problem that you can see with the naked eye, it’s important to not just reach for your prescription pad," Melita explained, adding that the initial tests the previous doctors ordered for her were just STD tests. "I was never even tested for the diagnosis I was given, let alone what I really have," she added.
Although the journey has been long for Melita, she said it has taught her a lot. "It’s important we all know the names of different body parts so we can communicate better to our healthcare providers what’s wrong and where. I wish we were taught this in school, not just for female bodies, but for males as well. I’ve been inspired to try to go into the medical field myself. I recently graduated with an associate's degree after majoring in nursing, but I want to continue college and become a midwife or a doula so I can help women."
Special thanks to Melita for being vulnerable and sharing her story to spread awareness. If you want to see more of Melita's journey, you can follow her on TikTok.
