Smear test - is it normal to find leaves and twigs?

Have you read the full thread?? There are valid reasons why some women don’t attend.
Some of these women test themselves for HPV too.

Also recommending smoking cannabis ( still an illegal drug) isn’t exactly a positive health move in general either

Superdrug do them

Same!

My smear tests are very much not fine! As my cervix is very high and very far back so I have to get into ridiculous positions and it hurts like hell. Thankfully I don’t get them anymore as I’ve not been sexually active in over a decade

I did not know this! Thank you.

Some women do find them painful. They are in the minority and I do worry that these stories put young women off. Waiting until 40 until your first smear is neglecting your health, and I can understand that you may have been apprehensive but this is not good. I think we need better speculums and a better understanding of trauma in the health service. But also I don’t want women to be put off.

Things women I know have found helpful re the pain include paracetamol and ibuprofen beforehand, or in a couple of cases a joint!

Im 52, have a tilted cervix and had a traumatic birth where i had a major PPH and third degree tear that was both badly managed and badly repaired.

I'm glad your experience was okay, OP, but tbh I find your post a little patronising. For me and alot of women the experience is both painful and traumatic.

I just do the HPV Superdrug test now.

I’d found a position to make smears less painful, but it was a different nurse the last time I went. I went into the position, she said ‘no just go back to normal for a moment’ and just went ahead and it was incredibly painful. So nope, that’s the end of it for me. It does make me tired when women enthuse about how painless they are, though I appreciate you had good intentions OP and it’s true you probably don’t know how it will be for you if you’ve not been before.

I usually hate them but have never missed one. Last was completely painless though.

Since childbirth, my cervix is very hard to find, so the tests are horrendous, thanks, and that’s why I avoid them.

Yes - why don’t they offer self swabs to test for the HPV?

Oh really? Thanks for that. I might try that next time. Mine always hurt, I'm not sure if it's because I have a retroverted uterus. My friend does too and says that hers hurt as well.

I've never had a problem in the past but things are not the same as they were at my last appointment due to perimenopause and being long term single. I am incredibly worried about having to go again and I've had a letter telling me it's time.

If you have concerns don't rely solely on the smear, follow up with the gp.

Mine are AGONY. I’m not having any more unless I’m sedated, and will not be convinced otherwise that if men had to endure smear tests - we’d have made huge advances in fast, painless ways to do them.

that being said, I would encourage anyone who has a cervix to get one - I realise I’m in the minority here re pain and trauma! Well done OP and I’m so glad yours was a breeze!

Please don't assume you will remain HPV negative even if in a monogamous relationship. HPV can lie dormant for many many years before it can flare and cause issues. I've recently had to have surgey for vulva skin changes caused by a strain on HPV and I've been with mu husband 15 years. That's why it's so important to attend for regular screening.

They have started being so fucking rude to me the last few times. Commenting how they can tell I've never given birth, asking if I'm sexually active, asking for the virgin speculum or whatever piece it is. Its just so shit. Just insinuating that they can't get it in. Ive just started crying through them now and lo and behold I'm now 6 months overdue as I can't figure out how to do it all again. I mean, I will, but probably need to get shagging first, hey?

They only started testing for Hpv in 2019. Before that they looked at the cells.

Just a reminder that a smear doesn’t pick up all gynaecological cancers so if you have issues, keep going back to the doctor - don’t be fobbed off.

I was wondering how you managed to get leaves and twigs up there! 🤣

great thread, though.

Thanks for the tip @cordeliabuffy I might try that if I ever go for another. Mine are painful and I'm about a year overdue for the latest one. I'm just not sure it's worth the pain now it's just a HPV check and not looking for abnormal cells anymore. I haven't tested positive for HPV any of the previous times so can't understand why they think it would change when I'm in a long term monogamous relationship.

For anyone that finds it painful, you can lie on your left side. It’s a hundred times better for me if I do that

I went for my first one at 38 and it was painful as fuck so that's the one and only time I'm doing that😅 yours sounds way worse than even mine was, it's annoying when women say oh it doesn't hurt it's amazing. Yeah fucking right🙄

You can buy an HPV test online now. They only test for Hpv now and throw the sample away if it is negative.