Suzanne Moore on the shame women are made to feel about their bodies and the effect on smear test attendance.

Haven't seen the other thread yet, will hunt around soon, see if I can find it.

I am overdue a smear and without valium or something, I ain't going.

And if you look at the other thread, you're not likely to get the valium for that.

Ffs meant to add a whole lot of men don't go for a prostate exam, they must think it's too invasive or something

It’s not the fault of hcps that the cervix is difficult to access!! And in case no one has noticed prostates are also difficult to get to and quite it’s undignified for men when being examined

My cervix also appears to be backwards facing. It's not the propping my bum up that offends me, it's the cavalier attitude, the oh this won't hurt, when actually yes it bloody does. For hours. It's the oh i am just popping out of the room cos I need a second opinion and leaving the bloody door open so everyone in the waiting room can see up my fanjo.
It's the bleeding afterwards, it's the letter 5 weeks later, badly worded, enough to frighten you into believing you have cancer, not that the hcp didn't get a large enough sample.
I am overdue a smear and without valium or something, I ain't going.

It’s not the fault of hcps that the cervix is difficult to access!! And in case no one has noticed prostates are also difficult to get to and quite it’s undignified for men when being examined.

You're starting to display the attitude that some women here are talking about.

What is the process for examining a prostate? My Googling has told me it's nowhere near as undignified as lying legs akimbo on a bed, 1000W bulb shining at your fanjo for 5-10 minutes and spreading you open with a large plastic (if lucky) contraption and inserting the rubber brush.

However, maybe the NHS pages were lying about the prostate exam being a gloved finger into the bum, and it's actually a totally different procedure that's comparable?

I don’t think you can get Xanax in the UK but they’re pretty reluctant to give benzos here, I just wanted 2 for a trip as I get really bad panic attacks. He offered me anti depressants instead. What? No, I just wanted something for anxiety for one trip!

I want to ask my doctor for a Xanax before I go for a smear test. I think it's a very reasonable thing to ask, it's not like I'm going to get addicted from one tablet and I think it should prevent a lot of potentially traumatic discomfort.

My doctor is usually reasonable, but I'm a bit worried that I'll get turned down on some kind of "if we do it for you, we have to do it for everyone" grounds - though really, why shouldn't they do it for everyone?

Has anyone tried this? Either the Xanax for a smear test part, or asking the doctor for it?

I'm not feeling the sympathy there...…….

It’s not the fault of hcps that the cervix is difficult to access!! And in case no one has noticed prostates are also difficult to get to and quite it’s undignified for men when being examined. Prostate biopsies even worse!

100% no man would ever put up with any of this shit.

Exactly. No fucking way

100% no man would ever put up with any of this shit.

Oh, definitely!

To be serious though, I’ve never missed a smear. But as I get older, and having had my anatomy butchered by forceps birth after I had heroically tried to do the ‘no drugs just hypno birthing and whale song’ perfect natural birth, I get more and more pissed off at the invasive and undignified bullshit women are expected to put up with.

I almost feel now like, unless HCPs can guarantee all smears will be pain and discomfort- free for all women, they can fuck off with their speculums and weird rubbery toothbrush scraper things.

100% no man would ever put up with any of this shit.

I’m hiding this thread because it’s transphobic. Not all women have cervixes.

J/k!

HCPs often dismiss any issues as the woman fault or psychological. Perhaps if they properly diagnose the issue there might be better outcomes for all.

I’m sure. It’s much like men hearing so many negative stories about the damage other men do. But that does not alter the fact that women experience a lot of trauma and unpleasantness because of the lack of respect of HCP’s. Yes #notallHCP’s but enough for it to be such a problem that many of us don’t even go to ours, or delay it. That’s not our fault and it’s not ‘hate’, it’s our stories and our lived experience.

It’s not dismissive oxy it’s upsetting to me to hear that. Its pretty rare to hear anything positive about hcps on mumsnet tbh, or in the media as a whole which can be pretty wearing when you put your heart and soul into doing a good job

Some of us have had bad experiences with HCP, I’ve had plenty and very few good ones. That doesn’t equate to ‘hate’ and that’s very dismissive of you to say that. We have valid reasons for not appreciating how they treat women. I’ve had many doctors and nurses be extremely disrespectful and totally thoughtless about my personal fears.

Just FYI that journalist emailed me and is going to use my email to ask questions of the expert before she writes her article. If anyone wants to write to her, I would recommend it.

Jeez some people on here really hate HCPs. Depressing
And no there is not a conspiracy to degrade women or because doctors make so much money out of doing smears -honestly it’s something that could easily be done out of GP practices that are already struggling to function due to years of cut backs.
However - Its an important screening tool. It would be great if there was a self test available such as urine or self taken smear but at the moment we only have the smear test. The nhs has no money and no foresight to see that investing in self testing would pay for itself in time. Blame the managers for that not the hcps.
FWIW it’s often difficult when I get my smear done because my cervix is tilted back. This is not the fault of the person doing the smear and putting my fists under my back helps improve the position - it’s not done to humiliate you or make people even more uncomfortable.
There’s no excuse for making a woman feel uncomfortable when having a smear and if anyone experiences this they should feed that back to the practice manager. We all know a smear is going to be uncomfortable but it really shouldn’t be sore. If it is then speak to a sympathetic GP who might be able to look at ways of helping eg as someone else mentioned oestrogen cream for a few weeks before smear

but hey, they don't trust patients, either (hence not believing you when you say you don't drink or drink a bottle a week, they double it)

That's really weird. I know they do it, have seen them automatically double whatever I tell them. So why ask, if they are just going to double it, and round it up.
They also don't believe if you ever say you don't drink every week.
I am on call and cant drink on my on call week (else could lose job/license) but hcps often don't believe me.
Granted some people may lie, but don't tar us all.

I have stopped believing anything doctors say is pain free or "only a little uncomfortable" for women. This means it is pain free for the doctor. I have had "pain free" procedures be excruciating which is worse when they don't tell you and you aren't expecting it.

Yeah, that line is the bigger load of bullshit than even David Cameron could come up with. I tell them, too, 'Sure, it won't be at all for you, but it's physically impossible to discern pain in a body besides your own so probably best not to use adages to that effect,' and they usually shut up.

I don't trust most HCPs any farther than I can throw them, which is nowhere, but hey, they don't trust patients, either (hence not believing you when you say you don't drink or drink a bottle a week, they double it).

I read an article in the stupid Independent that repeatedly described it as ‘gentle’ and women weren’t going due to ‘embarrassment’. It was enraging

I have stopped believing anything doctors say is pain free or "only a little uncomfortable" for women. This means it is pain free for the doctor. I have had "pain free" procedures be excruciating which is worse when they don't tell you and you aren't expecting it.

Anyway this all sounds like a bunch of CIS PRIVILEGE amirite? lol