| Approach to communication | Instead of |
| Introduction sitting at patient's level. | Introduction looking down at patient. |
| "Your pregnancy is eight weeks along." | "Your baby is eight weeks old." |
| "Place your feet in the foot holders." | "Place your feet in the stirrups." |
| "There is room for you to move down further on the exam table." | "Move your bottom down the bed until you feel like you're going to fall off." |
| "Allow your knees to fall to the sides." | "Open or spread your legs." |
| "Your cervix looks healthy and normal." | "Your cervix/uterus looks/feels good." |
| "You may feel some cool wet cotton to swab away your natural cervical mucous." | "I am cleaning your cervix" (implying the cervix is dirty). |
| "If...then" statements such as "If you want the procedure to go as quickly as possible, then hold as still as you can." | "You have to hold still." |
| "This is the numbing medicine. You may feel a cramp or spreading numbness." | "You are going to feel a poke/prick/stick with the injection." |
| "We're over halfway through; you're doing great." | "It will be a few more minutes." |
| "I will place/introduce the IUD or implant." | "I will insert the IUD or implant." |
