“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.

As someone who doesn't go because of birth trauma (long past the point of giving a shit about people seeing my fanny but the trauma means it's a no entry zone) and does so fully in the knowledge of the risks I take doing so... I find that being reduced to me being a "diva" very demeaning of my lived experience to be honest.

Of course we're all silly little girls who need talking down to though don't we?!

Nobody is forcing anyone to go. It's an advert.
Medical professionals are probably frustrated that we are lucky enough to live in a country where some cancers can be detected by an unpleasant but useful test and that lots of people just don't bother.
As I said before the main reason I know of from Women around me is that they think it's gross.
If you want it, get it.
If you don't, don't.
But of all the things to be furious about a tasteless advert about detecting cancer probably isn't up there.
I'm outraged you have to be 25 before you're allowed. That's more shocking to me than hearing the words beaver or diva.

I'd love to be proven wrong and have this be a big part of turning the falling numbers around. I just don't see how it helps or makes anyone less embarrassed or encourages women to get smears. It feels a bit...try hard, like an ad executive trying to 'get down with the kids' with little practical considerations. It seems like one of many campaigns I've seen on various things that are full of good intentions and maybe some focus groups but end up not doing much.

Ultimately anyone in any situation could assault you physically or sexually, but it's very unlikely. I have to leave my house, life is a risk but I still do it.

Those of us who have been through physical and sexual abuse by medical professionals are very well aware of that, thanks.

It's less like walking out of the house and more like walking into the hospital it happened in knowing nothing happened to your rapists. Or walking into the GP's surgery knowing an assault was defended by a member of staff because it was their student and you dodge them as best as possible as you're not sure how you'll react if you have to have an appointment with them again (this was actually a major factor in a few medical decisions for me including not having more children).

Or it's walking out the door, into all the risks of life, and coming across another medical abuse case in the news with multiple victims having all been told the same thing by people who are supposed to care - it's a misunderstanding or that we're making too much of it or that we shouldn't talk about it because it could put others off getting treatment and so on. The culture of silencing and dismissing doesn't really help people move forward with life. It helps only abusers.

We can discuss ways to help those with anxiety or trauma histories or embarrassment or physical difficulties or other barriers without minimizing or acting like those who recognize these challenges and risks don't know that people can't just ignore the risks of life. People analysing and dealing with risks differently doesn't mean they're either avoiding risks or stupid or being divas, everyone does it differently. If I wasn't able to have childcare and take someone with me, I'd really struggle to do anything medical related no matter how stupid or diva-like or middle class or whatever people want to call me as I've certainly had worse.

I'm outraged you have to be 25 before you're allowed.

That’s based on the best medical evidence.

@PositivelyPERF I absolutely do know the reasons of the people I know

I agree with the OP. They could have researched why Women aren't going for smears and addressed their reasons in an Ad campaign*

They have, see my previous post for the campaign to help those that have experienced sexual violence, and also other posts that educate what will happen, why the need etc

And some little facts:

Of the 4.2 million women in England invited for smear eating 2015-2016, 1.12 million did not attend. In 2016-2017 that rise to over 1.2 million.

In a survey over 2000 women in 2017:
37% were not aware screening reduced risk of disease
35% were embarrassed over body shape
34% had concerns over he appearance of the vulva (48% of non attenders)
And 72% of 25 -29 year olds did not feel comfortable undressing in front of doctors

I would say it is this last group to which he campaign is targeted towards but as mentioned before, there are a number of different campaigns and messages directed towards different groups of people including transgender, those who have experienced sexual violence etc

This particular campaign/slogan doesn't offend me as such, however, what HAS been irritating me recently with all the talk about this, is the constant repetition of "it's only 30 seconds and painless".

I go for my smears and while it's mildly embarrassing I can deal with that. However, my last one took a LOT longer than 30 seconds and was VERY painful.

The trivialising of the procedure is what irks me. Yes, it's important and yes, it's worth going through if it helps to save your life - I agree with all that. However, just because some women have a very uneventful, painless and quick smear does not mean it's like that for everyone and I think a lot more women would be responsive to these campaigns if they actually acknowledged that for some women it's a very difficult, painful and distressing thing to have done. It's the dismissive attitude that I have actually been finding quite annoying and I do wonder how many women it's actually put OFF rather than encouraged to go for a smear.

It's like the women who have light painless periods - they seem to assume that everyone has them like that and can't get their heads around the fact that for some women - it's pure hell!

It feels a bit...try hard, like an ad executive trying to 'get down with the kids'
That's exactly who this campaign is going for, the younger women that are part of the 72%

The NHS shouldn't use porn terminology when addressing women about serious medical issues!

It's not an nhs campaign. It's a post doing the rounds on Facebook

I'd love to be proven wrong and have this be a big part of turning the falling numbers around. I just don't see how it helps or makes anyone less embarrassed or encourages women to get smears.

But some posters on here are saying that they are seeing it as a positive thing. It clearly won't reach everyone but would any campaign?

Maybe some of the more factual or "medical" messages proposed on here would put lots of other women off?

We don’t shame men to have prostate tests. Using the word Diva is wrong.

I have been resisting responding to any of these smear related threads but this enraged me.

Due a smear I spent an hour on the phone trying to get through to the sexual health clinic. I go there as I had several bad experiences with the GP - failed tests that needed repeating and increasing pain. Yes, for the hard of hearing at the back PAIN. The appointment was hard to coordinate to avoid perimenopausal irregular periods but I made it there. I went and explained to the nurse that although I have had extensive fertility treatment I have had issues with smear tests especially the use of speculums that are too large. She was not unsympathetic though she did say that the protocol now excludes lube. She tried a small one and said it was too short. Went for a long one that created extreme pain. I screamed and was in tears. Much talk of did I want to try again and relax until she saw the pool of blood underneath me. I had suffered a tear. Cue much embarrassment and awkwardness. I then went to the GP who talked a good talk booked an extended appointment and the same thing happened.

Now I have always trotted along to my smear tests but I was motivated to read up on them when the gynaecologist I was then referred to laughed off my concerns about being unable to get a test. I think the efficiency of the test programme is massively oversold. It both fails to detect 1 in 3 cases apparently and yet at the same time results in widespread over treatment of women who do not have cancer and would not have gone on to develop cancer anyway. Getting tested is playing it safe but the risk/benefit trade off is more complex than presented. This campaign is insulting.

I don’t see how it would encourage people to go.
Surely, ‘please get your smear test done. You are important- Nb if you have concerns please discuss with your health care provider’ would be better- if less catchy.

We don’t shame men to have prostate tests.
What screening programme is there for prostate cancer?

I'm struggling to find a reference to this anywhere else. I've googled it, all I get is this thread. There's nothing on the Jo's website. Where has it come from?

Like PP pointed out, the minimum age for a smear is 25 so the catchphrase isn't based on what a 'younger demographic' might find relatable. I was a mother of 2 at that age, not some giggling teen who like totally relates to sniggering slogans. I'm now 6 years older now so not exactly middle-aged but I'm sick of this type of language being normalised as part of porn culture and the general infantilisation of women. I want younger women to think 'wait a minute, don't fucking patronise me', not 'oh yeah, ok then!'

I don't like the slogan, but is the term beaver really used in porn? It's not exactly a sexy cute name is it?

I would relate it to the equivalent of trouser mouse for men. More twee than pornographic.

It's been used for years. Since the days when the only porn widely available was girlie mags on the top shelf.

@bluelady even if this is fake news, there are lots of examples of similar victim blaming ads. aboitnopening legs and poor child missing mummy cos mummy missed her smear

There is no screening program for prostate cancer as there doesn't (yet) seem to be any reliable method of detecting it at a cost or convenience that's practical.

To me, it's a dated porn term. But it has the connotation all the same

Tbh I have never really looked, I just assumed pussy would be the go-to for porn. As I said, I have heard it used but not in a sexy way.

Will make sure I never use it, I don't tend to call my vulva stupid names unless I am talking solely about the vagina, in which case I normally chanel my inner Peggy Hill and shout it in a texan accent 'verrrrrr-GINA'

There is controversy over a national roll out of prostate screening programme for reasons that are applicable to cervical screening too - overdiagnosis and over treatment. The judgement call has been made that, considering the balance of risk across the broader population, the cervical screening programme is worth it but the prostate one is not.

So you think us lot who never miss our smears like them? I'm sorry but there is a touch of diva in someone who says it makes them anxious. You think i enjoy lying on my back and opening my legs and having a cold metal implement stuck up there? I just get over myself and have it done in the knowledge it could possibly save my life. Jeez!

Thick as pigshit.

Would there be one for men

Don't be a diva, get someone to check your ballsack. With a cold metal device that feels like torture?
What they need to do is replace all those metal things with plastic ones.

I had a smear once with a plastic one and I could do the smear myself. At last I felt like a respected human being. If they did that it would up the take-up.