Blimey. Gone out for a while and it’s all kicked off!
I often look after women who have trouble having a smear. They usually say they have had bothervin the past which is really sad.
As I said before, if this applys to you, explain that you have trouble and ask for a longer appointment. I have at times given women speculum to take home so they can practise beforehand.
Remember you can withdraw your consent at any time during the procedure. Wear a skirt or a dress ( it’s just less hassle). Do some deep breathing during the procedure so you can really relax your muscles. It makes it much easier and quicker if you are relaxed as possible. Wiggling your toes also helps - harder to tense up some how.
It’s important to come because it really is one of the best tests. It’s got a long predictive value seeing cells that are abnormal years before they would ever become a problem. When we started proper nationwide testing the cervical cancer rates dropped off a cliff.
There is a very slightly increased risk of cervical cancer on the combined pill but it’s insignificant compared to HPV infection or smoking.
Break through bleeding is really not a strong indicator of cancer, (neither incidently is a mildly abnormal smear) it’s far more likely to be a polyp, a hormonal imbalance or even a chlamydia infection.