Got my smear invite - I’m already panicking (TW)

[notagain2024]

I’ve been invited to get a smear, I had one last winter but I’ve since moved area so I’m guessing that’s why I’ve been called again. I do need to go, but I also don’t want to.

I had complex trauma a long time ago, and even just seeing the words smear test in the letter has had me panicking. I don’t like medical things, when they say to relax I just do the opposite. Last smear was done in a highly specialist clinic with sedation.

I don’t know the nurses at my surgery well, and I don’t want to make an idiot of myself by crying or fainting (both have happened before). My aunty has promised she will come with me and stay in the waiting room or other side of the curtain.

How can I make this not traumatic?

If you’ve had a previous smear test in a specialist clinic with sedation can you contact the new surgery and explain why that was necessary and see if the same option is available locally to where you now live?

Also do you really need another smear if it’s only been a year since the last one? Is that medically recommended for you or is it just because you’re in a new system? If the second case I think I’d ask for them to get the results from your old surgery to wait the standard time (3 or 5 years or whatever it is).

I’m sorry. It sounds like a difficult situation for you.

When you say last winter you mean 2023? What were the results of your last one? If it was clear you shouldn’t need one yet, I would let the practise know you just had one, sometimes they are sent in error.

It sounds like you need to speak to the practice. First to see you do need one and second, if you do have it, to explain how you may struggle and what support you need. Their aim is for you to have a smear for your health and will want to make that as easy as they can for you.

You don’t need another one if your last one was last year and all ok….that’s a waste of nhs resources

Thanks, I’ll mention it yes, it was in Scotland and I’m now in England so I’m not sure if they’ll accept it - they’ve been funny about accepting other results from tests done in Scotland. My last one done by GP surgery was March 2020 just before Covid.

I am getting spotting and a lot of pain down below though, and went to the nurse about that last week about it, so I don’t know if that’s why I’ve been invited for one.

You need get checked out with a doctor….a smear only checks you for Hpv ….make a gp appointment asap

Firstly, in England you are only invited to have one every 3 years between ages 25 - 59 so you can simply point out to GP surgery this is too soon. (And get them to update your NHS record as something has obviously not been done properly if you've been invited again so soon)

Secondly, you can opt out of the screening altogether and instead choose to do an at home HPV swab test which you can buy over the counter in pharmacies or online. Only if that is positive do you then need a smear to test the actual cells. At which point you could request it be under sedation like you did before.

The NHS themselves only test the actual cells in the sample if HPV is positive so it's a perfectly valid way to go about it. They've actually been trialling home swabs in 5 London boroughs to see if that increases take up rates (which I'm sure it will) at which point they will roll it out further, I'm like you and just can't do them and haven't had one in years but I can do the home swabs.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/what-is-cervical-screening

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/02/nhs-gives-women-hpv-home-testing-kits-to-cut-cancer-deaths/

In scotland smears are every 5 years unless HPV is found and then you'll get recalled after 1 year. If you had a smear test last year and nothing was flagged then you don't need another smear test.

If you have symptoms then a smear is not the appropriate test to have as it just looks for HPV and the sample is only looked at further if it is found.

Do you still have your results letter as you could give a copy of that to your new surgery

Spoke to my GP surgery, they do want me to have it - they have no access to Scottish notes at all, so can’t prove I had a normal sample, and I never got a letter as it was done via sexual health. My aunty is going to try and go with me though so that’s reassuring.

Make sure you book a gp appointment as well op ….you need a doctor to investigate your symptoms

Trying to yeah, they’re saying they can’t get a doctor to see me for at least a month - offered a nurse phoning instead. I work in healthcare so spoke to doctor at work today, he checked my most recent blood tests - said I’m iron and B12 deficient, and have definitely got PCOS. On the plus side I’m not menopausal, and my thyroid is fine. He did say to ring surgery, tell them I’ve got pernicious anaemia and iron deficient, and to ask for various drugs (metformin, iron, … whether they listen is another matter.