“Don’t be a diva it’s only a beaver”

[clairestandish]

Just seen this in big pink writing on FB picture being shared round from some sort of smear test campaign, followed by a ‘we’ve seen it all before! go for your smear’ bla bla bla

I keep seeing this kind of thing, lots of focus on the low figures of women attending cervical screening being down to ‘prudish’ women who are too embarrassed.

AIBU to feel annoyed that a lot of the campaigns take this slant? I really don’t think it’s the full reason women decline having cervical screening. Many women have been treated badly by medical staff during childbirth and have a lack of trust or find the process too daunting in light of that. Many women have a history of sexual abuse and can’t face it. I’m sure there are more reasons too and it would be useful to address all of them if we want to improve attendance of cervical screening.

*HPV vaccine, sorry

zzzzz Sorry!

We had to stop calling it a Mary as my aunt and neighbour objected.

It is now called a Lulu. Because everyone in our house thinks she is a ….

Well. You get the drift.

I don’t like the wording of this at all. If anything it would put me off going. As can be seen in this thread, choice of words is important.

How about something honest? We may not be able to save your blushes, but a smear may be able save your life.

HPV test is not HPV vaccine if you were talking to me, orangesoda?

Thing is Jade Goody's WAS picked up in a smear. She didn't get it treated. So she died. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant, though.

No, she wasn’t having smears as part of the routine program. She’d had abnormal cells removed from her cervix at 15, then several more times before what happened on big brother. It was tragic, but she didn’t have the standard HPV related cervical cancer that the NHS screening program is set up to detect.

I didn't say she did. What I said was factually correct.

I'm not scared of people looking up my minge I'm just too busy to attend appointments and I get fed up with being bombarded with messages that my body is the enemy and I will die unless doctors see to it.

I also hate women prattling on about how I have some kind of duty to attend screening and should be grateful.

I am going to attend a mammogram next month - it will be the fourth one I've had in as many years. I don't know why they keep calling me. I don't have breast cancer as far as I know, so it's not that. I think they are just keeping the numbers up in order to keep their funding going.

I have misgivings about testing. If, next month they find something in my breast what shall I do? I'll probably be inclined to let them cut it out but I know that it might be pre-cancerous changes that might revert to normal.

This is an excellent analysis;

ighgc.org/blogpost/smear-campaigns-how-campaigns-promoting-the-uptake-of-invasive-medical-screenings-must-take-the-needs-of-sexual-violence-survivors-into-account

This focuses on sex abuse survivors but I think several points have a broader relevance:

1. Shaming does not support women

(I don’t object to beaver so much as I object to diva)

1. Inciting fear does not support women (maybe not this daft one liner but sad boy alone missing his mum cos she missed her smear sure does)
2. Minimising women’s experience does not support women

So much evidence of this on this thread ‘only 30’seconds’ ‘only 2 minutes’ ‘it is slight discomfort’ ‘you just need to relax’

I haven't seen much porn I admit but pretty sure I've never heard the word beaver in it and as for 'girl parts' - that's somehow more acceptable

I'm not entirely sure how someone with no cancer risk is getting a mammogram every year. I've been called for two in the ten years since I've qualified for them - I gather at my age the recommended interval is every two years. So someone else is already getting mine and there's no need to "bump the numbers up".

Aloneloneloner,report it immediately.

Do we actually know if this is a real 'campaign' or not?
It could just as easily be someone on Facebook who's created it and it's doing the rounds.

Are people saying you can't compare a wax with a smear because nothing is inserted during a wax wilfully misunderstanding? Over 80% of young women who don't want a smear cite not wanting to undress as the reason NOT because they don't want a speculum inside them. The embarrassment issue is precisely the same in both procedures.

So that's a full 20% who don't cite that. And of those who do, you have no idea whether the embarrassment issue is the same in both procedures for them. You saying that doesn't make it true.

With that in mind, saying that if you can manage a wax you've no reason to object to a smear is and will remain a rather silly point.

Having had both a wax and a smear, I think I can quite confidently say that, without being "silly".

Bluelady You might be talking about me. Thinking about it, it's not one a year but it's definitely the fourth one in six years.

I'm looking at the letter now. It says that women aged 50 to 70 are invited to have breast screening every three years but as part of a trial in my area some women aged between 47 and 49 are also being called. That's me.

The last one was autumn 2017 . This one is next month. I probably will go but I'm not sure it's for my benefit. I am beginning to suspect it's for the benefit of the screening programme in my health authority to preserve jobs and may lead to over-treatment for me or other women.

It is getting on my tits.

Love your last line! You're definitely getting my mammograms, can I have them back, please?

If I could find some way of working that out for you Bluelady you'd be welcome to have one of my mammograms .

Honestly, I've had my tits squashed loads in the last six years and the last time I went the nurse wasn't very nice. I was early for my appointment and someone else was late and got told off and threatened that she might lose her place. It was completely wrong and embarrassing for us to hear, let alone the woman. And also it was an empty threat. The nurse should have put me in her place and bumped her down the queue.

That's a major part of my problem with this whole issue. You are supposed to be really grateful and viewed as silly if you question the wisdom.

I've noticed that from some posters on this thread. I think they are a bit silly.

@aethelgifu Good point Why cant they do the same for women. My last smear was back in Nov 2014 Whenever i have it it feels like razor blades. And im not exaggerating. So thats the main reason. Seeing posts on here in the past from health professionals who DO judge women for not shaving their legs let alone their pubic hair doesnt help though. And women who experience razor blade type pain during this procedure wont take kindly to being referred to as a diva Yet again womens pain gets played down and minimized. Ive not been sexually active for years anyway.

Havent read the whole of this thread but thought some of you might be interested in this one.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3491652-Suzanne-Moore-on-the-shame-women-are-made-to-feel-about-their-bodies-and-the-effect-on-smear-test-attendance

Completely agree, @limitedperiodonly, it's an unpleasant experience and the radiographer treated me like a joint of meat last time. However, one of my friends had cancer detected at a very early stage with a mammogram and I'd rather have a few uncomfortable minutes than die of breast cancer.

Perhaps some women don’t wish to announce they’re one of 1 in 5 women who’ve been sexually assaulted. They may cite various reasons for not going but not admit the truth, even to themselves. A lot of women have been sexually assaulted but don’t realise it’s assault and therefore, cannot put words to their feelings.

Smears are only screening tests. For some women, this leads to invasive treatment for something that may not have progressed to cancer. Fortunately, cervical cancer is rare.

There are valid reasons why some women don’t want smears. We have no right to pass judgement.

You think wrong then bluelady and frankly 'silly' is a rather mild term for someone who genuinely thinks they're qualified to decide whether thousands of other women will/do find an internal procedure on their genitals more embarrassing than a non internal one. As if your experience can somehow be extrapolated to the wider cohort!

How wonderful it must be @Waxmyballs, to be so omnipotent as to arrogantly assure someone else that they "think wrong". Wish I had your fabulous knowledge.

The irony of that coming from someone who thinks they're qualified to decide what level of embarrassment thousands of other women should feel about internal procedures is just beautiful.

It is, isn't it? 😊

I mean, jokes and sniping aside, people do sometimes have very different feelings about internal and non internal procedures, and what they feel able to cope with. That's just how it is really. There can be all kinds of reasons.