I've got my first smear tomorrow can you tell me what to expect.

[Floradoras]

I have booked my first one. I am a little nervous.

I have some questions.

Will it hurt or make me bleed? I'm having discomfort in my pelvis so I'm nervous about that making it worse.

Do they ever tell you things look bad but can't confirm?

Will the say if they can see a cervical ectropian? Is that how it's spelt?

How long does the actual test take?

I'm a clean person but I get alot of discharge (normal but heavy,) and I am abit embarrassed about it being heavy tomorrow. Is there always discharge down there and will it bother the nurse?

Do you get any pain afterwards?
Do they cover you over a little bit?

Thank you.

Please be nice. I know how silly I sound.

I know it’s easier said than done but please try not to worry - the nurses perform smear tests every day and they’ve seen it all. A bit of discharge certainly won’t make them bat an eyelid!

Please mention when you go how nervous you are, and also mention your pelvic pain. The nurse will want to make you as comfortable as possible.

When I’ve been for a smear I’m usually in and out within 10 minutes. They’ll probably ask you a few questions to check you haven’t been having any gynae issues, and they might ask you about contraception etc.

They will ask you to remove your trousers and underwear, so you might feel more comfortable wearing a skirt or dress. The actual smear test itself literally takes seconds. They probably won’t be able to ‘see’ any issues visibly.

You should get your results within a week or so, by post.

Honestly, please try not to worry

Oh and it may feel a little bit uncomfortable but shouldn’t hurt or be painful or cause any real bleeding.

No-one can tell you if it will hurt you or make u bleed unfortunately - because each woman has a different experience- but for me personally it was pain and blood free. Mine are always over quickly too. If you are nervous tell the nurse and I'm sure she will be able to advise and reassure u. Good luck

I had my third ever smear the other week. I was in and out so quickly. They do give you some paper towel to cover your front up then they do the rest.

Don’t worry about discharge it’s perfectly normal, the often advise smear tests to be in mid cycle during ovulation which in itself causes more discharge so they will be used to it.

Hi! Make sure you remind the person doing it that it is your first time. They may ask you when you're period was and whereabouts in your monthly cycle you think you are. They may ask you if you have had any symptoms you are concerned about so mention the pelvic pain.

They ask you to strip from the waist down and or remove tights and knickers. I generally go in a skirt or dress so I don't have to take all the bottom half off. Make sure you have clean feet also as their head will be right next to them! They ask you to lie on the couch thing, raise your knees up, then put the soles of your feet together. Some practitioners ask you to ball your hands into fists and put them at under your back at the base where the dimples are which can help tilt your pelvis. Then they position a light looking at your vulva get a speculum which looks like a beak and gently insert it into your vagina. It shouldn't hurt but can be uncomfortable. Then there us a kind of screw they turn and it opens the speculum. When its open enough, they will have a view through your vagina of your cervix. Then they get a thing a little like a paintbrush and sweep across your cervix with it. You may or may not feel this but its not generally painful. Sometimes the cervix bleeds (mine does) and most of the time this does not get in the way of the scientists being able to view the cells. If it is an issue, you will get a recall.

Then they unscrew the speculum, gently remove it and you can sit up and sort yourself out. They should then advise you when you will get your results.

Its not a fun procedure but its generally over with very quickly. Good luck.

Ps I did bleed on this one but it didn’t hurt it just feels a bit weird.

Just a note to say that they may not use a speculum - whenever I've had mine done they've used a clear smooth plastic cone (a bit like a dildo!) and put that in place (with some lube) and then put the swab in through that Personally I get a slight bit of discomfort, a bit like being scratched with a fingernail, but that's it. The whole thing is very quick.

I find breathing in and out slowly helps me to relax. Tensing makes it worse. It really is a couple of minutes discomfort for a few years peace of mind.

It can be slightly uncomfortable, and there may be a small amount of pain but it isn’t agonising and it’s over pretty quickly.

Simple enough it’s:-

You get in the room and they ask you to undress from the bottom down

You then lay on the bed and cover yourself with a paper sheet around the waist

Nurse will then come in, make small chat probably, and ask if it’s ok to proceed

They will then get the speculum and insert it into the vagina

They will open it slightly and stick in a small brush which will be used to gently sweep inside.

They then remove the brush and the speculum and it’s done.

That’s it. That’s all they do.

@Floradoras

I have booked my first one. I am a little nervous.

I have some questions.

Will it hurt or make me bleed? I'm having discomfort in my pelvis so I'm nervous about that making it worse.

Do they ever tell you things look bad but can't confirm?

Will the say if they can see a cervical ectropian? Is that how it's spelt?

How long does the actual test take?

I'm a clean person but I get alot of discharge (normal but heavy,) and I am abit embarrassed about it being heavy tomorrow. Is there always discharge down there and will it bother the nurse?

Do you get any pain afterwards?
Do they cover you over a little bit?

Thank you.

Please be nice. I know how silly I sound.

To answer your questions from my personal experience:

It does make me bleed but not heavily, don’t panic if you see the little brush they use covered in blood, this has happened to me. It has never hurt me though, the speculum being opened to give them a better view is the most uncomfortable part but still not painful.

Whether they tell you what they can see depends on the nurse, I’ve had some hardly look and just do the swab by feel but our nurse that does them now has a good look and tells me what she can see or if everything just looks good. You could always ask if you would like to know.

The test literally takes a couple of minutes from start to finish. They usually ask you to undress and lie on the bed, there is blue roll type sheets usually to cover yourself up for when the nurse comes back in (usually closes a curtain whilst you get ready). Wearing a skirt or a dress is a good idea.

I have had a little bit of period pain briefly afterwards for a few hours.

Don’t worry about discharge, the nurse will have seen it all before. If you have a good clean before you leave the house or if you need to go straight from work etc, take some baby wipes with you for before you leave.

Good luck, it’s honestly not as bad as you think it will be!

If you're nervous, or find having the speculum inserted a bit too painful, you can always ask for a smaller size speculum. I found that they came in different sizes only recently, and it changed everything! I'm no longer afraid of smears because a smaller size speculum doesn't hurt me whereas I always found smears painful in the past.

I've had cramps and spotting after mine before so might be a good idea to take a pantyliner with you that you can go to the toilet and put on afterwards, and some painkillers if you're not going straight home after.

I feel so anxious today. I hate how it creeps up on me. I'm so nervous. The fact I have to wear a mask means I can't sip water whilst I wait. I just hope I don't get in a state.

I'm not as worried about the test as I am about my anxiety making me feel unwell. It drains my energy and then I struggle to cope.

I hate how I get now. This is a new thing since lockdown.

@Floradoras can you take a straw for your water, you can slip the straw under your mask. Just remind yourself it will be over soon. I find it helps me to set a time when I know it will be over and focus on how by that time it will all be over and I can get on with my day!

Thanks. 40 minutes to go. So nervous. I will try that thanks x

@Floradoras should be all over by now then! Hope it went well for you!

All done. Not bad at all. Thank you everyone. She said it looked a little pink but nothing bad. 8 weeks for results though!