Are your smears more painful the older you get?

[IBlameTheDog]

I've always find them to be ok. Not fun but not painful.

I'm 50 and post menopausal now and had one on Friday.

Holy shit! It actually made me cry and I'm not one to shed a tear normally.

Is this yet another joy of getting older?

Thank god they're only every five years now (hopefully).

I used to sail through them. Then menopause hit (couldn't have hrt due to ca). 1st insert of a speculum had me crying; mostly pain, but also shocked myself that it eas painful
Vaginal wall tissue does thin (as do most other areas), and nerve ending are therefore much closer to surface, so bingo!

Those Chinese plastic speculums are horrendous. There is also operator error/poor technique. Have been on Ovestin for years, and still agonising.

I'm only 35 so mine are fine atm but my mum told me as she started menopause, her episiotomy scar randomly started to tear after years! Which made smears very uncomfortable. It's not so much the dryness, but the thin skin in that area. Just be vocal about it if it's hurting.

Just be vocal about it if it's hurting.

That would be great advice if it made any difference whatsoever.

Some people who do them are rough and don’t take enough care.

Same here. I never used to feel a thing but the last one I had, at age 62, was shockingly painful. Thankfully it was my last.

I've always found them uncomfortable but one I had recently was horrific. I actually screamed involuntarily, which was a shock to me as I have a very high pain threshold. It turned out that I have vaginal atrophy which is caused by menopause.

Since that incident I have been using HRT pessaries. At my last smear I told the nurse how painful the previous test had been, so she used plenty of lube and the smallest speculum available. She also said she'd stop at any point I felt uncomfortable. It was actually ok.

As I have a history of cancerous cells and subsequent treatment I will always get tested but I really don't like the test.

My last one aged 57 felt like she was using a razor blade it was so painful. I've never had one like that before and I was convinced I must have cervical cancer because it felt so different. Thankfully the result was normal but I have decided I won't be having any more smear tests. I am supposed to have one more before I reach the age limit.