AIBU to be fed up with smear test threads?

[PatsyNoPasta]

There seems to have been a run of smear test threads recently, encouraging women to get one done.

I'm sure we all know all about them. Can we drop the subject?

Thank you.

Yabu

You have a bit of a superiority complex there OP, deciding what we are and aren't allowed to chat about.

I am someone who chooses NOT to have a smear test. I am well informed of the risks which for me are VERY low as I have only had one sexual partner (my DH) and so has he. My GP supports my decision as I had one test after having my 3 kids and as the results were clear he feels that is extremely unlikely to change given my history. For me, that is a cracking argument for only having one sexual partner in life!!

Sorry Whisk I had the wrong username.

So OP, maybe hide the threads. Don't click on them if it makes you uncomfortable. Lots of support about if you do want to discuss it, no big issue if you don't.

You ok?

Y'know, quoting well-known stock phrases means nothing. I could say 'naice ham' but I wasn't here for it.

Am I on glue? Well, of course, I must be.

I'm not the one though with bugger all posting history, who doesn't know what 'thread police' means, who's behaving like thread police.

As I asked, what's your agenda? You seem to have an unhealthy thing for smear test threads. Why?

vdb

I've only had one sexual partner too. I've still had patchy test results. You know you can still get cervical cancer with only one sexual partner, don't you?

I have an unhealthy thing for carbs.

I hate the "smear test" threads but only because I've been overdue for about 2 years now and it reminds me I need to get it done

I will book it this week!!

Whisk bit aggressive perhaps?

The glue comment comes from a Bridezilla thread. It wasn't directed at you Whisk.

Whisk dunno what OP agenda is, but mine is, I think women get bullied and/or over persuaded into many medical treatment without sufficient discussion of risks (eg hormonal contraception, forceps during labour etc etc).

Smears are just another.

They are great in their place. But they are not an unadulterated good.

I think women should know this, and many seem not to.

Also many women feel deeply upset by smears due to abuse histories, birth trauma etc. it's also important to say to these women that choosing not to have smears can be a positive and informed choice and not cowardly or irresponsible.

Women need ownership of their bodies and their own medical choices.

magic it's reminded me too. Will ring the gp tomorrow.

I can see both sides.. Yes we avoiders know it's important already. At the same time reading these threads is slowly helping me build up the courage to do it. It's also made me address my persistant thrush issue (had an itchy foo for years and never done anything about it!) in the hope it will make things less sore down there. On day two of canestan and no longer feel like there's a bush fire occurring!

It might save someones life! Well, truth be told, statistically it is very unlikely these threads will save a life.

Reminding women to get their blood pressure checked, cholesterol checked, (not that I believe in that myth), get a yearly blood test and all the other health screening tests we have never seems to happen. With the exceptions of feeling your boobs that is. We don't seem to remind women of those tests which could potentially also save a life and deaths due to these conditions are much more likely.

I grant women with more credit. If it is important to them they will book it. If they keep forgetting then it probably isn't all that important to them and they will get round to it when they want to. I am the most disorganised person you will ever meet. I get the letter and call the same day, if I can't get to the phone I set a reminder. Because it is important to me.

Funnily enough, my husband has never been reminded to check his balls by anyone except maybe his GP. He is never guilted into it, and many of the smear test threads end up full of people saying shit like 'OMG, you are so selfish to risk your life and make your kids motherless'

Hopefully my cervix looks a little healthier than that, mind.

I'm just surprised that anyone in this day and age needs encouraging or reminding. Hello??? Cancer anyone?

Exactly, RP.

People mostly have them because they have been told to. Very few know the stats and the potential problems and how they really aren't the big life saver they are made out to be.

Aggressive? Really?

Fucking hell. I'm amazed that my non-sweary, non-abusive post is labelled aggressive.

Meh. Report me then.

Lol at the ex smoker going on about anyone else's cancer risk.

I'm not fed up with them. However I do get a little irritated when so many people assume that the only reason a woman doesn't have them is because she's embarrassed or scared it will hurt. I have seen that so many times both here and elsewhere and it just baffles me how so many people don't seem to think there might be more to it sometimes.

I haven't yet decided if I'm going to have them or not. I actually only turned 24 in February so haven't had one yet and haven't been called into one and right now I'm still debating whether to have one.

I've mentioned my reasons why I think smear tests will be horrible for me on another thread. Basically I have ASD and hate being touched, especially by people I don't know, because of sensory issues. Add that to the fact I've been raped and that's just going to be a recipe for disaster for a smear test.

I really need to look at statistically what my chances are of actually getting cervical cancer and I need to weigh that up with whether the small chance of actually getting it is worth the trauma a smear test would cause for me.

Right now I'd leaning towards it not being worth it.

However I am willing to bet that if I decided in a couple of months that I didn't want them and then casually mentioned that fact either here or elsewhere then I'd immediately be bombarded with people telling me that I was being "irresponsible" and that it's a couple of seconds of embarrassment, "suck it up", etc.

I bet very few people would actually consider the possibility that there might be other reasons other than just being embarrassed...

YABVU.

Don't click if you don't wish to read about it. Simple.

RevoltingPeasant - cervical cancer might not be the biggest killer - but it sure as hell affects the lives that it touches. I have had it - twice. I'm 31. Not all about the deaths!

It's important to keep the discussion going IMO. Someone might be encouraged to go to GP to talk about symptoms if not book an actual smear.

Aggressive about the OP's agenda I mean Whisk

She may have some problems you are not aware of? I'm not going to report you, you daftie

Milk

It is all about individual risk. I'm in a super high ridk group for melanoma and have decided to start forking out for private check ups. I also have a history of aggressive paediatric cancer in my family - DSis3 diagnosed with S4 tumour at 10 mos old - so baby DD will be having check ups too.

I know cervical cancer is horrid for those who get it, and is not to be dismissed. But I also think there is a lot of unhelpful emotive stuff amounting to bullying, both IRL and on here - eg there was a nasty thread last year when a poster who is a GP laid into a woman who'd been raped and called her a fool for not having smears.

Stats can't prevent you getting cancer but they are important tools for risk assessment.

AHEM

I was your 1 woman per 1000 tested for 35 years. Diagnosed with a v early stage cancer, treated by a world leading hospital. Not the most fun I've ever had but without the smear I suspect it would've been much worse.

You know, I'm not telling anyone what to do with their body. Smears and my cancer treatment were are mentally very tough for me because of previous experiences, so I do have some understanding. But, still (stats being whatever they are) I'm rather grateful for the programme on the whole.