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Original poster

Overdue smear test / ttc

17 replies

christmas2023 · 12/12/2023 16:57

I’ve been TTC for the last month or so and just realised I’m over due on my smear test - i think by about a year and half 😬

Has anyone been in this situation and what did you do ? Reading online it looks like you can’t have a smear if you might be pregnant

OP posts:
Iateallllllthepies · 12/12/2023 17:00

You could buy an at home HPV test. Smears now only test for HPV in the first instance anyway.

It’s just a swab, but check about early pregnancy if you think you might be.

Makkacakka · 12/12/2023 17:01

Haven't been in this situation but you can buy HPV self test kits. They are just swabs you do yourself. I'm not sure but I imagine they can be done if possibly pregnant. They are £50 though I think!

Makkacakka · 12/12/2023 17:01

Beat me to it @Iateallllllthepies 🙂

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Original poster
christmas2023 · 12/12/2023 17:02

Jinx ! Thanks ladies 😀

OP posts:
atthebottomofthehill · 12/12/2023 17:03

There are previous threads about this. Just go and get it done immediately. If you are that newly pregnant it won't have the slightest effect on the pregnancy. If you leave it, you most certainly won't want one postnatally for a long time, and if there were any dodgy cells that means you're at least a year away from finding them. Go tomorrow!!

Feliciacat · 12/12/2023 17:07

atthebottomofthehill · 12/12/2023 17:03

There are previous threads about this. Just go and get it done immediately. If you are that newly pregnant it won't have the slightest effect on the pregnancy. If you leave it, you most certainly won't want one postnatally for a long time, and if there were any dodgy cells that means you're at least a year away from finding them. Go tomorrow!!

I believe (having been in the situation of ttc myself whilst needing a smear) that the issue is that being pregnant can cause inaccurate results; that’s what the nurse told me. I ended up not being pregnant anyway so had the smear. But pregnancy can give false positives so it’s best to not be pregnant whilst having a smear. As you say, there is no danger to the pregnancy of having a smear whilst pregnant :)

Oldermum84 · 12/12/2023 17:15

Just book it.

atthebottomofthehill · 12/12/2023 17:19

Not that early it can't. Seriously if you didn't know you were pregnant then there will be no demonstrable difference to the cells of your cervix by that point. Book iiiittttt

mindutopia · 12/12/2023 17:21

You can have a smear while pregnant, assuming otherwise healthy pregnancy. Just book it and get it done. It’s certainly the sort of thing it’s better know about sooner rather than later.

envylope · 12/12/2023 17:28

Sorry to derail your thread OP but I didn't know that the smear test only checked for HPV? Didn't it use to check for abnormal cells in the first instance?

If a woman has only been with the one man since being sexually and he has only been with her and neither has HPV then is a smear test that only checks for HPV required at all?

TeaKitten · 12/12/2023 17:41

At a year and a half overdue, if you Havnt had the HPV vaccine, I’d just go and get a smear test done properly. Book it for really early in your cycle, so just after you’d period will have finished (or on your period if you feel comfortable).

Newmummy46 · 12/12/2023 17:42

I had a smear test while 5 months pregnant- no problem. It won’t harm the pregnancy, I also had a swap for strep b while 8 months pregnant- the swab itself doesn’t cause problems. Agreed the cells changes can be harder to interpret while pregnant but I think the HPV result is still accurate.

I think they routinely ask you at the booking in appointment if you are up to date with your smear.

ps my practice nurse wouldn’t do my smear while 5 months pregnant (was a follow up after having abnormal cells removed) but they did it in hospital, where I had the abnormal cells removed, no worries- the nurses didn’t mention anything about the pregnancy and thought I was ridiculous when I asked if I could have it done while pregnant.

Whitetopaz1 · 12/12/2023 17:44

I hope you didn’t /feel/ ridiculous. That’s harsh - I wouldn’t have known either.

Iateallllllthepies · 12/12/2023 17:52

envylope · 12/12/2023 17:28

Sorry to derail your thread OP but I didn't know that the smear test only checked for HPV? Didn't it use to check for abnormal cells in the first instance?

If a woman has only been with the one man since being sexually and he has only been with her and neither has HPV then is a smear test that only checks for HPV required at all?

They now only check for HPV. No HPV, no further testing.

There are some NHS trusts trailing at home swabs.

HPV can lay dormant for years and flare up, so it’s important to check for. I wish more women knew they could do a swab themselves if they have reasons for not wanting a smear.

Superdrug do them for £50.

envylope · 12/12/2023 17:54

Iateallllllthepies · 12/12/2023 17:52

They now only check for HPV. No HPV, no further testing.

There are some NHS trusts trailing at home swabs.

HPV can lay dormant for years and flare up, so it’s important to check for. I wish more women knew they could do a swab themselves if they have reasons for not wanting a smear.

Superdrug do them for £50.

Show quote history

Thanks, I hate having it done the last time the nurse told me how she hates doing them and it made me feel so much worse!

Newmummy46 · 12/12/2023 21:38

Thanks. I probably worded it wrongly. What I meant to say was she was so totally unbothered (in a good way) by me being pregnant that it put me as ease. I had previously seen the practice nurse and she was awful- told me I had to choose between the smear and risking a miscarriage. This wasn’t correct, hence why I was so pleased the nurse doing the smear in the hospital didn’t even question the 5 month baby bump!
thanks for your message though

Daisies12 · 12/12/2023 21:41

Book it for early in your cycle, just after your period ends. Definitely important to have it

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