Went for a smear after ten years..

[Grobagsforever]

I'm a responsible 40 year old woman and should 100 percent know better than to ignore the letters. I have health anxiety due to husbands death and avoided this test as I was scared of the results. Ridiculous I know, as of course the test is there to pick up potential cancer before it occurs! Absolutely illogical but that's how healthy anxiety works, I thought getting cervical cancer would be my punishment for not getting smears for ten years..

Anyway it came back clear.

So if you're avoiding the test for the same reasons as me, please don't. I feel SO much better without the niggling worry and panic if I get a twinge in that area!!!

In some ways, I think women must be insane not to have smears but on the other hand, I get how even just the thought of a smear can horrendously triggering. There should be more support for women who feel unable to attend. I'm not in favour of mandatory smears for all but they do prevent deaths.

I didn't realise how hideous the radiotherapy for cc is until recently. I know smears are uncomfortable but bloody hell I'd take the 'scratch' and the loss of dignity for 5 minutes every time.

It's been 22 years since I had one.

I shan't go for one either.

I go for them whenever I'm called. I consider it really important. I'm about to book my next one.

The point is if you do get abnormal smears the earlier you catch the better.

This ^^. A friend had an abnormal result at 34 when she had a toddler and a baby. It was early stage cervical cancer and thank goodness it was caught early. Nearly 20 years later she’s the proud Mum of two young adults.

Her experience motivated me to have my smear and now ( in the US) I’m eligible for annual mammograms. Something odd showed up on my mammogram just a few weeks ago- i went on for further tests and it turned out to be fine. I was so glad I’d had it checked out, though. My Mum also received a life-changing diagnosis in her 40’s so I have all the preventive exams I can get, as again, her early diagnosis greatly extended her life.

I don't have them, the nurse and gp tried and couldn't find my cervix, they even asked if I was sure I had one

Yeah telling me telling me the dictionary definition of a word isn’t patronising either....

@whichwallywhere

I don't have them, the nurse and gp tried and couldn't find my cervix, they even asked if I was sure I had one

Hopefully they have referred you for further tests. That must be quite terrifying

I'm good about booking cervical smear tests. I know my mother has never had one.

The annoying thing is my past two reminders have arrived whilst pregnant ( different pregnancies years apart) and despite the midwife putting in my notes ' needs a smear test after pregnancy' I still get loads of reminders from the gp ( literally months of letters and texts)

There was a time when I had to request a different nurse as this particular nurse had always done my smears ( I think three over 9 years) but every time had never taken a correct sample so they always had to be repeated.
It's really annoying to go for a smear and to know that you will be back in a few weeks for a repeat.

@Mumof1fun

They changed smear tests about 5 years ago or so. They don't actually check for abnormal cells now, they only do a HPV swab. If that comes back positive then they will check the cells. The problem is not everyone with abnormal cells has HPV (although there is a general correlation). I still get them done but I dont trust them any more, especially as I had abnormal cells and treatment about 7 years ago when they didn't check for HPV and I know someone in their early 30s who recently died from cervical cancer even though her smears cake back clear. I'm going to pay privately for a proper one next year.

This is also my worry. I had one recently and the leaflet said that testing for HPV would only catch 9 out of 10 cases.

Last year I had investigations due to symptoms which they never got to the bottom of, though they said my cells are unusual. They checked when I was due my smear, I assume because they want to keep an eye on them.

Yet when I mentioned this at my recent smear they said that they wouldn’t check the cells if I came back negative for HPV, which I did :(

@Grobagsforever - so sorry you lost your husband. well done for going, as someone who suffers with health anxiety i totally understand how scary the waiting is.

Have you seen the health anxiety thread on here? It's a supportive group and quite active so might be worth checking out if you haven't already.

I have put mine off for years. I hate them. And find them not just a little bit of discomfort, but incredibly almost unbearably painful. I hated the dismissive post above.

I keep getting letters now. Which pisses me off, because I did finally make an appointment in feb, which was cancelled due to covid.

I will make another appointment.

@chorusline79 thank you. I do need to get it under control as I keep freaking out if the kids have unexplained symptoms, for example DD aged 6 had nosebleeds for a week so I was goggling blood cancer. Ridiculous. It's only really cancer related as that's what DH had. I'm very calm about Covid etc.

@Oblomov20

I have put mine off for years. I hate them. And find them not just a little bit of discomfort, but incredibly almost unbearably painful. I hated the dismissive post above.

I keep getting letters now. Which pisses me off, because I did finally make an appointment in feb, which was cancelled due to covid.

I will make another appointment.

@Oblomov20 I had a diazepam once before a smear, helped massively with the pain. I do tend experience some pain as my cervix is very high...

@Strawberrypancakes

Your thread has made me feel super guilty. I really need to have one. I just turned 38 and I’ve never had one Everytime I call to arrange one they always ask about cycle days etc and I have no idea. Then I put it off. It’s stupid.. I really need to get one booked in.

@Strawberrypancakes

Ah but the point of my thread was to show there are lots of us out there who haven't been for years and years and not to feel guilty. No one is judging you. Pls don't feel bad, just book in.

I’m bad for booking these too - due then Covid happened. I went for a flu jab and the nurse said ‘ok I can do this now...’ and she did. I’m glad she did (came back clear).

And yes - they can be uncomfortable and they can be painful. But then so can trips to the dentist and blood tests.

@Strawberrypancakes no need to feel guilty at all. But please make an appointment and go 😊 if it wasn't for my friend bugging me to do the same, I'd have put mine off for even longer. And then who knows - I may have been past the point of being curable.

I couldn't have a successful smear for years due to nerves.
But then I got bleeding down below not during my period so the gp wanted to examine me and do a smear.
She was very kind & prescribed diazepam which I took before but I won't lie, I still found it hard to relax & it did hurt a bit.
Anyway the results were clear luckily.

I would recommend to anyone nervous to explain to the nurse or gp and get diazepam, also get them to use a small speculum.

Apparently I have a high and tilted cervix ( what a claim to fame!) which is why I have such a rough time ,even pain and bleeding the next day. But I’ve found nurses never believe me when I tell them and I had to endure painful rummaging around . Also I was often getting called back as they hadn’t collected enough cells. This just added to the trauma for me.
If I had a straightforward experience I probably would still go, but now I’ve had enough.

My sister always said she had a gin before getting legs waxed or a smear.

Absolutely genuine question and I promise I'm not being goady or anything, I am just interested.....But those with children who haven't been for one for years or never been for one, is it genuinely worse than childbirth for you? I just can't seem to get my mind around how you can give birth which takes a whole lot longer than a smear and is often undignified but can't go for a smear which doesn't take as long and , in my experience (and others I know) is a dignified experience and will actually help you with knowing if you could have the potential for cancer?
I am NOT trying to upset anyone with my question

• whichwallywhere I don't have them, the nurse and gp tried and couldn't find my cervix, they even asked if I was sure I had one  Hopefully they have referred you for further tests. That must be quite terrifying*

No, I do have one they are just incompetent.

Our lovely dear friend put off her smear test for years after having her DCs and unfortunately died of cervical cancer at 38. Smear tests Are not a pleasant experience but it does save lives.

I deeply disagree with them only testing for hpv rather than abnormal cells, I think it is very irresponsible and puts women at risk for the sake of saving money.

@JollyAndBright

I deeply disagree with them only testing for hpv rather than abnormal cells, I think it is very irresponsible and puts women at risk for the sake of saving money.

No, they’re tested for hpv first, then the cells are examined if that’s positive.

This hasn’t been done for money reasons-more women are saved this way. There was a massive high quality trial done.