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

Am not in the UK. HTH.

I was on the 2 week cancer path after unexpected bleeding post menopause.
Had an internal scan and then back to see the consultant following who did a physical exam and also did my smear which was due.
Thankfully everything came back clear..

It is a standard part of getting a pap test and now a cervical smear where I am in Australia, whether it is by my gynecologist, or at the women's health centre where I have had most of my tests done over the last couple of decades.

The sort of extended gynaecological procedure you describe is not a normal part of the smear test in the UK. For one, the practitioner is commonly a nurse who is not qualified to carry out what you describe. For two, most GP surgeries are not equipped with a suitable bed and/or don’t have room to access the bed from all angles plus don’t have the lighting required.

You see, this false ‘added value’ narrative irks me as much as the erroneous Jade Goody one… it’s simply not true, it’s used to manipulate and persuade, and is not a justification for women to have a smear as opposed to a self administered HPV test.

I suspect that part of the delay in the NHS reducing access to a smear and replacing with HPV self administered testing is that they have done such a good job on women over the years cajoling, emotionally manipulating them into smears, encouraging women to influence other women, that it’s going to be bloody hard to reeducate. This thread is a case in point of women misunderstanding the diagnostic and being happy to say some
frankly quite awful things to other women who have made different choices to themselves.

Why do you consider mammograms more essential?

Used to be the case. They've stopped doing that ( probably to save money) but it's a bit shit for those who develop non hpv cervical cancer as they aren't being caught early

It's automatic. I don't even have a cervix to smear ( which they are well aware of) yet the "invitation" keep coming. Despite asking them to stop on numerous occasions

I see I always thought it was any abnormal cells (whether caused by HPV or not). Whenever I've been to one they've not said "we are checking for HPV" they've said "we are checking for any abnormal cells" that's me that's been misinformed, thank you for the correction.

I'm a 62 year old lifelong non smoker: I have an 8% chance of dying of lung cancer.

Really?
That can’t be right 🤔

To those wondering about the impact or benefits of the visual inspection of the cervix and how many anomalies are spotted; I don't know. But according to CRUK your lifetime risk of cervical cancer, smeared or unsmeared, jabbed or unjabbed, is 0.65%, meaning 99% no cancer. And I don't overlook those who do lose their lives from this cancer. Around 900 women a year die of cervical cancer in the UK from a population of 30 million women. It's not a rampant cancer. I'm a 62 year old lifelong non smoker: I have an 8% chance of dying of lung cancer. I've seen several women say on here the nurses spotted a polyp or growth, most then say it went on to be benign. Hope this helps

You’re no longer being screened for cancer though, you’re being screened for HPV (and then cancer if you’re positive for HPV). If you are not positive for HPV you won’t be screened for cancerous or pre cancerous cells.

This.
The thing I don't get is before they used to just check the cells for changes that would pick up all cervical cancers. Now all they do is test for HPV and if negative they throw the sample away. So I am sure some will get missed as they aren't all caused by HPV.

Not always. If a nurse takes the smear test they are not qualified to assess ovaries etc.

My smears have been done privately for years by my gynaecologist as the NHS doesn't do them often enough for women my age.

I've known too many friends where if they have waited 5 years would have had serious issues as they had pre cancerous changes.

Oh, I've had pelvic exams over the years, just not as part of my cervical smear.

Outside of the over-medicalised US, I've never seen a cervical smear described as the GP inserting his or her fingers into the vagina and palpating the vaginal walls and the abdomen prior to inserting the speculum. As this NHS information makes clear, it's not standard, although I suppose some GPs may offer it anyway.

If it was a standard part of a cervical smear, I think you'd see even more non-compliance than there already is!

It's done before the speculum is inserted. Sorry it's not been offered to you.

I haven't made a single comment about the OP doing something "terrible, silly, or dangerous". My only comment about the OP was:

But if she's self-testing for HPV at home, why can't she just tell her GP this so they stop sending her reminders for smear tests? The mind boggles.

And yes, every pap smear (and now cervical smear) test I have had has involved examination of the lower abdomen and of the genitals.

Mine have definitely not involved examination of the lower abdomen 🤔

What do you think a cervical smear does?
(Aside from, yes, potentially pick up the rare cancer that has grown enough to form a tumour or inflammation visible to the naked eye, and yet hasn't caused any physical symptoms.)

In order to examine your ovaries etc, they'd have to take out the speculum, and insert two fingers while pressing down with their other hand, so I think you'd notice! 😅

Nobody thinks you are an awful person because you have refused to be screened for cancer, stupid maybe but not awful (and yes I think men who don't go to cancer screenings when they are offered are stupid too). Just know HPV isn't the only cause of cervical cancer and so a non invasive test for HPV or indeed having the HPV vaccine wouldn't do what the cervical smear does.

If you don't want to be screened then that's ultimately your choice.

@midnightbluelobelia
Self-testing is now standard in NZ, although perhaps some GP offices are a bit behind the times. But the recommendations here and here make it clear that HPV testing via vaginal swab (self tested or taken by a GP or nurse) is generally the primary option offered, depending on the patient's medical history of course.

So I don't see why the OP is doing something terrible, silly, or dangerous.

In NZ, it is not standard to palpate the abdomen or examine the genitals at a cervical screen - although obviously they see the cervix and vagina. And from everything I've heard and read, a visual examination, along with abdominal palpation by pressing a hand on the lower abdomen and feeling with two fingers inside the vagina, is not standard as part of cervical screening in the UK. (A cervical screen is not the same thing as a pelvic examination.)

Well, they don't announce it. It's just part of the procedure. Have had countless smear tests in my time. It only takes a few seconds to feel around the ovaries, and then when they're down there anyway peer in and check for any abnormalities that are visible!

I've had all my smear tests done at a sexual health clinic (I found they were loads better at it than GPs) and I don't recall them examining my abdomen but they're very fast and efficient I definitely may not have noticed.

And yes, every pap smear (and now cervical smear) test I have had has involved examination of the lower abdomen and of the genitals.

Really? They look all around your labia and palpate your tummy?

Mine haven't ever, done by a consultant.

Obviously they can see the cervix when they take the smear.

The fact your GP didn't point out to you the obvious advantages of doing an in- office screening by her suggests she is ignorant, inexperienced at smear tests, or just lazy. You have repeatedly posted this notion self-testing is "standard":

Anyway these days where I live smear tests are no longer standard, and the GP just gives you a swab kit to use on yourself to test for HPV

...until they changed to self-swabs being the standard.

I must say, I do find it amusing that people think OP is arrogant, awful, stupid, scaremongering, or bound to die, for essentially doing herself what Australia and New Zealand's health systems now do as standard for national cervical screening.

I pointed out it is only an option, and often an unavailable option, in Australia.

Well, in NZ at least it's standard now, according to my GP, who when I asked about whether I should have the smear anyway, told me I didn't need it as all they do is test for HPV, so I may as well just do the self-swab in her office.

If self-swabs will increase compliance in achieving that goal, then shifting to a primarily self-swab model makes sense.

It seems it is only in your particular GP's office that the self-swab model is primary or standard. And yes, every pap smear (and now cervical smear) test I have had has involved examination of the lower abdomen and of the genitals.