To Feel Outraged.

[IgamOgamJones]

I received a letter from my doctor's surgery about cervical smears. I don't want one. I'm 50 and don't want any more, I've done what they said for my entire adult life re getting a cervical smear and I've had enough thank you NHS, no need to spend precious funds on that ok? NO, not ok. The letter says that if I do not wish to have these tests I am required to ring my doctor and then after that if I STILL don't want the bloody thing shoved up me and my cervix scraped then I am required to ring another bloody number! FFS! I don't want my cervix scraped any more and I don't want to listen to a well meaning doctor explain to me that I have no idea about my health so isn't it better to be safe rather than sorry...now, knickers off and open your legs so I can shove this thing up you AGAIN. Am I overreacting, I don't bloody think so!

Just bin the letter then and stop making a fuss. However if you don't keep up with tests I believe some GPs won't continue to accept you as a patient. Seems a bit idiotic to avoid them but I'm sure you have your reasons.

YABVU

Shortstuff08what a stupid thing to say, are you going to personally pay for every woman's unnecessary procedures and mental health support for the aftermath of false diagnosis now that you've said that? Or do you not have to take financial responsiblity for your actions, only OP has to take financial responsibility for hers? How about we just have the NHS paying for NHS treatment, as we already do.

What are you talking about? A poster (not the OP) said she opted out and took full responsibility for doing so. So I asked if that included paying for treatment. Because unless you are able to pay for your treatment, you aren't taking full responsibility for the decision. I didn't quote the OP at all.

I think women should opt out if they so wish. But you can't say you take full responsibility for the decision, if you aren't taking full responsibility for it.

I’m not going to rehash all the arguments, because there was a big thread about this the other week (I used to spend a lot of time on a cycling forum, and smear tests seems to be the MN equivalent of their cycle helmets threads).

But absolutely someone shouldn’t keep having to repeat that they don’t want something if they have already made themselves clear. Perhaps then the GP surgery/ NHS could spare time on the problems the patient is actually worried about. My surgery keeps me sending flu jab ‘reminders ‘ despite my having spent only 2 out of the last 4 years eligible for one. It took them 10 days from agreeing to refer me for a certain health concern I had last year, to them actually sorting out the letter. There were 8 points in my journey from initially seeing the GP to getting hospital investigations, where if I hadn’t kept chasing because things weren’t happening when I’d been told (or asked) they should, I’d have been quietly dropped. At one point it took 45 minutes and 14 phone calls to get the 2 depts I needed.
Oh, and a couple of times over the years I’ve had scans requested to rule out anything ‘sinister ‘. The first one, the radiologist wanted an internal US of my ovary. Radiographers decided they weren’t going to do it without explanation, and the GP thought this was good as it “saved you some embarrassment “ 2nd one was requested in a pair, but I only got appt for one. GP in that case said hospital practice was to bin 2nd request as assumed duplicate in same name (even though for clearly different body part). So please let’s not claim the NHS is desperate to find cancer.

However if you don't keep up with tests I believe some GPs won't continue to accept you as a patient.
That sounds very much like bullying people into doing something they dint want.
Underlying ANY procedure is the notion of consent. You are entitled to not reject any procedure you might want to.
No one is allowed to push you and use what are bullying tactics to ‘convince you’ they are right and you are wrong.

It’s true for everything btw. Smear test, induction in pregnancy, receiving chemo for cancer etc etc.

Sprog I work with people who have some health concerns. Things have gone very bad in the last 2~3 years and I found that yes, yu do have to follow through and be in their back to actually see things happening.
Blame the conservative government and the reduction of budget in the NHS.

I'm 50 in a few months and I just had my smear test. All clear and not another one for 5 years.
I don't understand your stance at all.

Well as a taxpayer I would like it if you would sign a contract that stipulates if you forgo smear tests you will not be treated for any future gynaecological or oncology treatments.

Fair enough?

YABVU. Who likes having smears? Mine are eye watering painful due to a retroverted uterus that also veers off to one side.

We are really lucky we are offered them. Things we take for granted here such as smears, bowel cancer tests, immunisations, are unheard of in many parts of the world. You sound so ungrateful and very defensive.

Being celibate doesn't mean you don't need a smear test unless you're a virgin.

I wouldn't have cancer treatment, I've had more than enough medical stuff in my life

In terms of money back though, I'd like money back for loads of stuff.

This year is the first time I've started to think maybe I don't believe in the NHS after all. Limited essential services maybe.

Twice over a decade screening has picked up changes and I've had treatment to prevent further spread. Why anyone would refuse potentially life saving screening is beyond me...

minty I don’t need the relationship forum thanks . ohdearnotmyproblem , I actually had a smear a few weeks ago and the letter I got back clearly said we’ve tested it for HPV , it’s negative so we do no more tests , that may of course just be in my area (SE) .

The article in the independent by Dr Margaret McCartney sums up my argument against all screening procedures perfectly.

I’m also a doctor, I’m in my 30’s and I have never and will never have a smear test or any other kind of screening test.

I made this decision after weighing up my own risk factors and doing the research.
I really wish more people would do the same.

There are so many misconceptions about smear and other screening tests, these threads always bother me.

I know for a fact that GP surgeriers do receive financial incentives/rewards for encouraging screening tests, I disagree with this personally and professionally.

“Today 18:13 BMW6

Well as a taxpayer I would like it if you would sign a contract that stipulates if you forgo smear tests you will not be treated for any future gynaecological or oncology treatments.

Fair enough?”

I’m gobsmacked at this. Do you know how rare cervical cancer is? You’re saying someone refusing a smear shouldn’t be treated for ANYTHING related to their female organs or ANY cancer for the rest of their lives?

Thank fuck you don’t have any power!

Bin the letter and don't schedule an appointment... Do you get so affronted by spam mail posted through your letter box too 🤔

I am in Germany and go to my gynecologist every 6 months. He does a smear test every time - it is a normal part of a gynecological examination here and can save lives. I don’t understand why you’re upset - if’s not worse than an ultrasound examination and not painful.

Will you do the same when you get called for your mammogram?

@WeAreEternal

Thank you. I wish more doctors would speak up about this. I also heard about the financial incentive from a GP relative, when I said it to my own GP, she was quite furious that I even knew about it.

I've had a lot of complicated medical stuff over the years and through this met a nicer GP, I try to stick with him now. Otherwise every visit for my totally unrelated issues results in "why haven't you had a smear lately, we can do it RIGHT NOW". The "right now" was when I was quite poorly after spinal injury.

Yep, @WeAreEternal thanks for confirming the financial incentive. It was mentioned a couple of pages back and largely ignored.

It's fascinating to me how many people blithely go along with whatever they've been spoonfed by the medical system/media without taking a moment to think things through in their own minds and do their own research.

@LighthouseSouth so are you implying that your GP actually shouted it at you? I'm assuming you were given an option to state 'no thank you', and not dragged off to have a smear? If you don't want it done that fine. The other side of the fence many young women fight to get a screening because they're displaying symptoms that they want checked out, and they're refused on the basis of age - can't win...

If you get cervical cancer, I'm guessing you will refuse all treatment then Igam. I hope so because, with your attitude, the NHS funds will certainly be better spent elsewhere.

LighthouseSouth & WeAreEternal I do the finances for the GP practice I work at & I can assure you we don’t get money for smear tests. In fact there aren’t even any targets we have to hit, so I don’t know where you’re getting your facts from.

Some are saying that a smear test isn't painful. It is for some, it's agony for me. A pain that a couple of paracetamol won't touch.

WOW, YABU for sure OP.

As a few posters have said, be bloomin' grateful it's offered.

Many many countries do not have anywhere NEAR the level of health care that we have in the UK. We are blessed.

My pal at work who is 56 has had several offers of breast screening, and also flu jabs in the past 5 years,and she had her last smear at 52.

She said she is not having another smear as since the menopause kicked in (she is now 18 months since her last period,) she is completely dry down there, and kind of has vaginismus, and cannot get anything in further than 2-3 inches. TMI sorry... So she said she won't be having any more smears. They results have always been OK anyway. She has also turned down all flu jabs - despite being an asthmatic, and also the breast-screening.

She has never ever gone batshit crazy and angry about them offering her them though! She just cancelled the appointments they made. And when the smear letter comes next year, it tells you to ring up and make an appointment, so she will just not do that. Simples.

I am really struggling to fathom why some people have so many problems with making the medical practice or clinic accept 'NO' as an answer. Everyone I know just returns the slip on the bottom of the letter with 'decline' but thank you anyway. End of. And they hear nothing else for a year or 2.