to ask if you’ve ever had a painful smear.

[Oopsusernamealreadytaken]

Resting up feeling a bit sorry for myself after my smear yesterday, sorry if TMI, not really a conversation I can have with my work chums 😂

I’m feeling battered and bruised down there, I think I was caught or grazed by the speculum. On top of that feeling very crampy and bleeding which I know can be normal.

Ugh. Being a woman sucks at times!

I have a retroverted uterus so it is not as easy. The nurse put a cushion under me to tilt me up which helped. I often wondered if that is the case wouldnt it be better if they did the test whilst we were on hands and knees doggy style.

Oyster HPV can reactivate- almost everyone is exposed at some point and it can reappear at a later time so it’s still important you have your smears.

Not painful but I always bleed, during and after.

I would always get them done, no matter how painful. I’ve had pain free ones in the past before.

Whatever has caused the pain was done on inserting speculum, felt like a scraping along my vaginal wall. I don’t know if something pinched maybe?? Once she found my cervix (I had to put hands under bum) that bit didn’t hurt whatsoever.

I’m definitely bruised down there today too, I have no issues with sex, inserting tampons/cups or similar.

The lady who did it was lovely and kept on apologising. Just one of those things I guess.

I’ve never had a painful smear.
I’ve had my womb cauterised and repeatedly had smears and since the age of 11, I’ve had issues with my vagina, vulva and cervix and never once in 18 years has it even twinged.

Take a couple of painkillers before you go. It'll definitely make the smear a lot more comfortable. Mine have always been fine. Over and done in less than 3 minutes.

I have a tilted, pinhole cervix. I used to have a lot of painful ones as they seemed to be rummaging around a lot to try and find where to take a sample. Now I mention this and have to put my hands under my bum and they mostly are ok now.

Of course having a smear may hurt. It's an invasive, possibly embarrassing procedure that involves being cranked open and your cervix given a good going over with a brush - just like cleaning a toilet. As the exam was invented by a man that used to practise on his wife, I don't suppose she ever complained.

*@JollyGiraffe

I really don't like these threads as I'm sure they must put people off having it done, and for the vast majority there is no pain at all.

I think you are probably right.*

The thing is, they ALWAYS hurt me. There are various reasons. But all the "Don't be shy, just a few seconds of embarrassment, it will all be FINE' posts ignore the reality of my experience, and that of many other women.

We are all grown up. I still have my smears done despite the pain and worry I go through beforehand.

@WinterfellWench I definitely will still have it. But I'm very scared. I have lichen sclerosus so I'm worried that will have an affect. I'm considering asking my mum to come with me

*effect

firstbrightday

I find it v painful when the nurse is inserting the speculum, but as soon as it's out again, I'm totally fine. I do hate smears and do find them painful, but they are quick, and could save your life.

I suggest you explain that you're nervous, and ask them to explain exactly what they will do

I'm quite small down there so have to ask for the smallest speculum (the one they use for virgins and nuns!)

@allthgoodusernamesaretaken yes I'm small down there too! Because of the lichen sclerosus. I'm going to outline all of this to the nurse

Never but I always go to a well woman clinic rather than my GP surgery. The nurses and doctors in the well woman clinic are looking at / poking and prodding vaginas all day every day so I trust them more with that sort of thing.

Yes and because of it I don't go for smears anymore.

But being a Female procedure its always fine to dismiss any issues.

Mine are always painful and I bleed. I think it’s because I’ve got a tilted heart shaped womb, a cervix with cells on outside (can’t remember proper name) off to one side and also endometriosis. Once I tell them I’m not consenting to having it done with my feet together knees apart but in a position that is comfortable to me, the actual smear test is then usually bearable with some yoga breathing and relaxing thoughts.

No, never. Not even mild discomfort.

Mine have never hurt before but the one I had last week really hurt when she brushed my cervix. It felt bruised. I have a tilted pelvis and my cervix is shy! Oh well, over and done for another three years.

First one I had was friendly, jolly, painless experience. Had a good laugh with the nurse.

I'm normally very relaxed around health professionals - I take for granted that they have seen worse or more disgusting things a dozen times before lunch than anything I've ever encountered!

Second one though... the woman was so awkward! She made me a 'skirt' to protect my modesty (the degree of which was zero when I had my legs akimbo, airing my labia to the room). She faffed and fussed putting it in place when I was lying down, even though I didn't care.

She acted like the whole thing was so shameful that I think I got tensed up, which might have contributed to the scratch and bleeding I had for three days afterwards. I don't know how she does her job.

Only after several surgeries on my cervix, no longer have them due to hyst but nurses could never understand, they kept offering smaller speculum, which is thoughtful but it wasn't that that hurt, it was the actual scraping bit that hurt!

Mine are dreadful - I have a tilted and inverted cervix or something like that I forget exactly what they called it as was trying to blank it from memory. It can take bloody ages to find, hurts like hell. It is getting worse each time too.

They weren't always that bad - but since mid 30's have been awful. I imagine my cervix is drying up in my head! I still go without fail though.

Yes. The first two I had were problem free and I didn't understand what other women were getting their knockers in a twist about.

My third though was a different story. The little brush came out covered in blood, then I started getting really disabling stomach cramps all the way home. The next day, what can only be described as green slime came out of me on day 3 of green slime I went to the GP, who refused to look at me because 'a smear test couldn't cause anything like that'. It went on for about 10 days.

I've actually been for another smear today though and all is fine so I guess it was some kind of fluke.

I have not had a smear test for 12 years because it is unbelievably painful for me. I know this is stupid, I am 48 and I have never had a child so I might be less used to being prodded than others. But I just cannot bear it and ignore every invitation. I am relying upon no history of cancer in family, but I know this is stupid. I just find the whole experience too traumatic.

Just to add. I had smear tests annually for about ten years before I stopped and each was extremely painful and extremely traumatic for me.

Anyone reading, seriously, just go. As people have said, vast majority of people are fine with no problems at all, you tend to get people complaining or with bad experiences posting more than ones who have no probs!
I've been for mine every 3 years for the past 20 years or so, never had a bad one yet.
In fact at my last one the other week it took seconds and then she went "all done!"
Me - "what, already?!" Didn't feel a thing lol, was genuinely surprised as thought she'd barely started!