I’ve never had a smear test and I don’t want one either

It’s your health and you will be the one who dies if you get it.’Low risk doesn’t mean never. It’s your choice.

The friend I lost at 32 to cervical cancer had no risk factors either, and no symptoms till it was stage 4.

I am in my 40s and can’t have smear tests due to horrific injuries I suffered having my DD. They weren’t enjoyable when I could have them, but I bloody miss them now.

It's up to you. As long as you could be at peace with yourself if you get cervical cancer diagnosed at a late stage.

I realise this is incredibly rare but I had a lovely friend who felt like you, she had an elective c section and no internal exams. She passed away from cervical cancer when her daughter was young. Had she been screened or had allowed routine examinations in pregnancy it might have been different.

I have a deep rooted phobia of smear tests. Had one at 26 then the next 10 years later. I ended up having a smear test as I’d been self testing with Superdrug’s tests. The test came back very high risk for HPV. Had a smear and also had cell changes. Was very lucky, I still have the fear of smear tests but go and understand I will get upset and be ill having them. But no longer willing to take the risk.

Your body, your choice. Idiotic choice but your choice. I hope you don't live to regret it.

I’m very similar to you OP and feel the same. I thought it would be a simple case of unsubscribing from NHS mailings and alerts from my GP but oh no, it wasn’t. I had repeated texts and calls from the nurse practitioner and when I asked to not be contacted again she told me I’d have to put it in writing and hand deliver it to the surgery. Not sure why on earth it had to be hand delivered! But I was made to feel as though I was doing something very shameful, as though I was failing the sisterhood by declining to take part. It was weird!

I never knew people who refused smear tests were considered bad, that is a new one on me.

If you don't want one, don't have one, they are not compulsory.

You’re welcome to refuse whatever healthcare you like, OP - but I didn’t really have much choice when it came to internal scans and potentially lifesaving procedures for the multiple miscarriages I had before having my DC 🤷🏻‍♀️

And the time we thought my waters had gone at 28 weeks, I was relieved to have a doctor examine me to confirm what was going on - luckily it was a false alarm.

Basically what you’re saying is, you’ve never had any gynae health issues. That’s great! Well done.

True. And it was part of my birth plan that I didn’t want any internal examinations.

My fanny received as my visitors in one night as Wookey Hole does in a day. Maybe not in peak season. But comparable to a cold day in late November, I reckon.

With my consent. Because things didn’t go the way I planned. All good.

None of them left me a decent TripAdvisor review. Le sigh.

If you've done an HPV test at home and you're negative there is likely no point given that they only test for HPV. I am unlikely to go for another one as long as I'm HPV negative and no symptoms. I mean if I happen to need a gynae procedure anyway then they might as well do one, as happened with my last one when I had a mirena fitted. Other than that, no.

Edited to add, I will go for mammograms when called in a couple of years so I'm not against screening

I don’t think many people feel superior or even care if others don’t have a cervical screening. I also think the men/woman thing is nonsense. It depends on your age. Cervical cancer is common in 30-35. Prostrate is normally later and it’s normally around 40 that men with higher risk start screening.

I find it difficult to reconcile the pressure placed on women to undergo invasive internal examinations when comparable screening is not routinely offered to men. It contributes to my discomfort with how women’s healthcare decisions are often treated.

This is an excellent point @Seventeenstars . I think it’s a huge healthcare failure that men aren’t regularly contacted to be screened for prostrate cancer. I know someone IRL who’s currently battling prostrate cancer, he hadn’t been to his GP for six years before he had symptoms severe enough to make him go, so sadly it had taken hold.

Personally, I do have pap smears and now mammograms, because catching cancer early will give me the best chance of fighting it. I’m not ready to leave my children yet.

i havent had one for years last one was horrendous-been with my husband 27 years but yes i cojld still get cancer

will get a home hpv test though are they free?

I’m going against most of the replies here to say that if you’ve had clear HPV tests it’s fine to decline a smear. The good news is that the tests and phone calls asking you to book it, all stop at when you reach 64!

What do you want us to say? Go for it hunni! Get cancer and don’t have it detected for years. You do you boo!

Are you the same person who talked about having twigs up there for click bate? You do you, but I and thousands of other women will continue to have their smears- because why wouldn’t you?!

Of course you have a choice; even in birth, nobody can be compelled to undergo any sort of examination.

Just don't have it, tell your surgery to stop bothering you end of. Every time I get asked I tell them no thankyou move on.
They get funding for them, same as bowel cancer, endless texts, letters, yet if I try to get an app.for something actually relevant to me brushed off, it's all about the money.

Thats what I thought too - I finger up the jacksy is not appealing either but oh so necessary.

I don’t feel morally superior for having a smear. And I hate having them. My cervix is high and tilted.

I have them because I don’t want to die of, or lose organs to, a hidden cancer and it’s a minor inconvenience. I’d rather swallow down my aversion to having someone clamp my cervix, than have it removed.

You do you though. Just ask them to remove you from the mailing list.

Not one person enjoys having these things done ! No one enjoys having medical things inserted up them .
But if it saves our life we will do it and no I do not feel morally superior at all saying this.

Ive been having gynae issues for while , which I hope you never get , because a smear test is the least of your worries if you do.

Exactly this. She was my age with two boys the same age as mine. I swore I would never miss one and I haven't since. The NHS has a fantastic cervical smear test programme, less invasive tests will hopefully come along or not (mostly due to budget I suspect).

All I can say is you do you but I would never not have one for the one minute of discomfort to potentially save my life.

I was lucky enough to be able to get smear tests from age 19, whereas I think it's 25 now, which I find shocking. I have always continued to have them.

I also had a mammogram earlier this year.

Because I have huge problems with my reproductive health (very large fibroids which never go away) I am used to hysteroscopies and all sorts of internal prodding.

I’m not sure men are excited about the prospect of a prostate exam 🤷🏻‍♀️