Women failing to attend smear tests

I know I'm overdue a smear but haven't made an appointment yet because, when I'm not at work, I'm looking after a small child. I have no family closer than 2 hours drive away so no-one to mind said child while I pop along. Appointments are only available one day per week and not outside working hours. I also have irregular periods and I've had to cancel before because of this.

If they made it a bit easier for me, I'd go ahead and book one.

DontcallmeJohnBoy I'm not saying they can't or shouldn't be made easier for women. However, I'm surprised people put parking/childcare/work issues before their health, surely all these pale into insignificance if the test detects something abnormal, allowing early investigation and treatment and potentially saving their life. If that's not motivation for people to attend, I don't know what is.

LeCroissant, there is a study on doing that for groups of women with very low take up. Makes you wonder why it can't be done for everyone else if it's apparently "good enough" for hard to reach groups.

I'm not young but it would get me there if they sent me the appointment rather than remind me to book myself. My last one was 2 years overdue before I finally talked myself into it.

Ive never had one that wasn't to some degree painful and I don't rush to go again.

Anon, because most women now work, and are not wasting half a day's leave on this? Because they can't take kids with thme but live miles away from family? Because they can't fit personal care appointments outside of "children" time. You can take your kids to the dentist with you but not a smear. Women may work near one GP's surgery but be registered with one near home so can't use the one near work for tests in her lunchbreak?

I won't get parked if I get into work late and my GP never has late afternoon appointments available.

Some of this isn't rocket science but it is about making appointments work for women who have more to do than sit at home fitting around the bloody GP. And that's before you get the nurses with the more "interesting" bedside manner and the badly trained one who mangle their patients and don't stop when they're asked to.

Am I surprised that the take up is so low? No, but I am surprised that the NHS seems incredulous to all this.

^what do the breast screening programme do?
Everyone seems to go for those^

I’m 47. I have never been called.

I go to all my smears. I hate them, they hurt and usually make me throw up. They always leave me shaky for the rest of the day, but i’ll still go. Just made an appt actually.

An easy solution would be to show women how to do it themselves and then let them pick up a kit from the surgery that they can hand back in/post off once it's done. It's likely that a good proportion of them would need to be redone for various reasons but that already happens anyway and overall it's likely that more women would at least attempt it.

Second the advice to make them easier to book. I suffered from very erratic periods, so having to book one in three weeks' time meant I couldn't be sure whether I would be able to have it; I would then have to cancel and rebook for yet another uncertain date. If the wait time had been even one week it would have been more manageable. Thank goodness I no longer have a cervix.

My last one was awful. The nurse was so rough. And her expression was of absolute disgust. I was freshly showered etc so don’t know what else I could have done to be acceptable - maybe she didn’t like my pubic hair. She really hurt my vagina near my scar from childbirth.

Sadly this kind of treatment doesn’t seem all that uncommon. Most women I’ve talked to about it have at least one story of a painful smear made painful by the practitioner not the procedure IYSWIM.

Women will continue to worry about them as long as the chance of being hurt and mistreated is there (and not remote).

I've not gone for a breast cancer screening and have asked to be taken out of the system.

My mother didn't. She's 92.

My sister did and had the scare of her life. Went private and it was all nothing. She no longer goes for breast cancer screening.

I was diligent in getting a smear test. But I do now question its value given that young women have had the vaccine.

Teach more about risk factors and make the process more pleasant.I don't have any risk factors so I wouldn't be willing to deal with the laborious booking process, inconvenient appointment times offered, regular delayed appointments, surly reception staff and, dirty crowded surgery.

Being only 27 and knowing two people from my school year who have undergone cancer treatment as a result of detections from their smears, one that came scarily close to not making it and leaving behind two gorgeous kids, I have no idea why anyone doesn't attend?!

I was refused an extra smear test and actually told off when I got there for booking one, despite worrying symptoms!

What can we do?
Tell women they can book a female nurse for the test, and dont tell them they are unimportant ffs.

The charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust surveyed 2,017 British women

A third said embarrassment caused them to delay getting a smear test

The survey found young women are embarrassed to attend smear tests because of their body shape (35%), the appearance of their vulva (34%) and concerns over smell (38%)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42747892

I won't go for smears or mammograms. Both are painful and I'm not convinced they are necessary. I would go as far as to say that I think the mammogram could damage breast tissue.

what do the breast screening programme do?

I think by the time you get to screening age you know someone or of someone who has had breast cancer.

I went for my first last year, both my mum and grandmother have died from breast cancer.

hmm - so a dedicated services, with skilled practitioners and an invitation to attend - perhs with a suggested time frame and a follow up call if you don't book with weekend/evening options so people don't have to try get out of work.
can the environment be nice and supportive with a biscuit for after as well.

I just watched a thing on the BBC - apparently it's not finding the time, it's being embarrassed about having not waxed the bikini line, or about any possible smell.

The breast screening program is a dedicated service as well. You’re not trying to fit in round other clinics.
It takes me honestly a year to book a smear. At least a week a month where I can’t go, then needing time off work, then being able to get an appointment.
And you cannot under estimate the skill of the practitioner, some are 2 mins in and out but sometimes honestly it’s 30 painful minutes with some judgement thrown in.
I’ve mentioned on here before but when they say they can’t find my cervix I never know what I’m supposed to say! I definitely brought it with me!

I thought it was an excellent idea! It’s one evening a week and you can see the nurse for anything (not just smears) but the waiting room is usually filled with women.

Our local GPs have an evening nurse session until 8pm. This makes it considerably easier to attend as you don’t need to take time off.

Grass pigeons - I think because the appointments are pre made for you and in advance. It's much more likely you will attend an appointment given to you then make an appointment. Especially if not as easy as just ringing up. Plus people are probably less embarrassed by their breast being exposed. Also it's involved a smaller proportion of the population, not sure when breast screening kicks in but it's probably on the later years of our working lives, rather a time your juggling work, kids and everything else.

There was a long thread about smears in AIBU.
Smears only test for HPV (iirc) so it’s possible to have cervical cancer and it not be picked up by a smear test.
I do know some younger women who refuse to go, and put it down to anxiety of the procedure.