Speaking as a woman who has had some terrible gynecologists over the years, the stirrups are worse when you have to scoot yourself down the bed until you're practically falling off of it and are getting painful procedures done to you without anesthesia. I had to get a biopsy of my cervix one time and the most they did for me was to tell me to take some ibuprofen before the procedure. Women's healthcare is still barbaric a disturbingly large amount of the time.

I was so happy to get to work with a very modern and compassionate OB/Gyn for my 3rd year medical school rotation. She offered her patients valium and local anesthesia for things like IUD insertions (and didn't scold her patients for expressing pain when they did feel it.)