“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.

I like seeing them. It reminds me that I need to call up and book mine in.

A smear test is a good opportunity to pick up other issues as well as precancerous cells. I have had referrals to gynae which would not have otherwise happened as a result of smear testing and am glad of it. I would not have attended if I was not treated kindly and professionally by a female HCP.

I didn't realise this is not an NHS message but as another poster mentioned there have been increasingly disrespectful messages of late and it needs sorting out.

No screening for prostate cancer?

In the US, men usually are told to start having prostate exams around age 50, and are also commonly tested for something in the bloodwork, an enzyme I think.

Are these screenings not common in the UK?

In the US, campaigns meant to get men to get prostate exams are so hilariously delicate and cradling of their fragile masculinity. You'd think it was a soft-boiled egg, the way they handle it.

I had a smear once with a plastic one and I could do the smear myself

I think I've only ever had it done with a plastic one! Personally I think fuck doing it myself, but I agree having that choice is good.

In the US, men usually are told to start having prostate exams around age 50, and are also commonly tested for something in the bloodwork, an enzyme I think.

Are these screenings not common in the UK?

We have the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test which the GP will do if there is a reason to do it. It isn't part of a screening programme though.

Likewise a manual exam. It would be done if a man complained of suspicious symptoms.

We have no "well man" screening programme

I think I've only ever had it done with a plastic one!

That makes all the difference. The metal ones have been cold and hurty. Still worth it though, in the bigger picture of course.
But YANBU OP the wording of this is so patronising and just a bit yuk

bananaramaspyjamas

It really pisses me off that the comfort can be upped massively by changing one tiny thing but they just opt for the worse one. Probably the cost of replacements, but surely if people are more comfortable, more people will go and this will reduce long term costs of treatments?

I've never really had a bad experience, this could be a reason why.

I completely agree daymanchampionofthesun

I think years ago they used a metal one but for about the past 15 years I've always had a plastic one used. I didn't realise that metal ones were still used.

However, I can see that there might be pressure exerted to move back to metal as people become more opposed to disposable plastic.

I don’t like it but it looks like it is attracting attention.

Just wondering though - how many other medical tests/procedures use equipment so dated? The plastic speculum are an improvement possibly. There are so many issues with it though. They might not upset everybody but they upset enough. The noise. It sets my teeth on edge. They haven’t been designedly with comfort in mind whether metal or plastic. I’m sure other people will have thought of things I haven’t.

Plus there is the whole position situation. The easiest speculum exam I’ve had was when my legs were put into the stirrup holders rather than the traditional put your feet together, bring them up towards your bum and let your legs go floppy thing. It feels like an advanced yoga position and then they say relax! I’d find that more comfortable as the person doing the test wouldn’t be leaning over my body to do it. Maybe other people would disagree but the option could be given at booking for which you prefer.

Then there is the time and availability issue. If there was a system where you could ring on the last day of your period to get booked in during the correct window with a range of appointment times, then perhaps more people could attend. Even better, a same day appointment while someone is feeling like they can face it or when they have support/respite carer/babysitter.

Make it as easy an experience as possible and make it easy to book. Surely that would have a positive impact on attendance figures.

It could be that the change to plastic from metal coincided with smear getting painful for me by chance but the ones with metal (and lube) were easier for me.

Good point from PP on facilities at the GP too. This is partly why I went to the sexual health clinic as at the GP the couch was narrow and crammed against a wall. At the fertility centre I attended the bed could be raised to eye level and there were stirrups to help with embryo transfer. Better set up.

Advice and protocol changes too - now it’s no lube to prevent contamination but the requirement to go mid cycle has gone which timing wise makes it a bit easier. However, if you spot or have long periods then the time slot is limited. No point going when the sample could be contaminated.

Oh and easiest smear ever for me was done by a man. A gynaecologist at a sexual health clinic.

I've read that now primary HPV testing is being rolled out nationwide (all samples are tested for HPV first and only positive samples then get sent for the traditional cell imaging) it will probably become the case that women take a swab themselves at home, and that it would only be required every 5 years after a normal result. I think that would lead to increased uptake.

"It's just a few minutes" is all well and good, except for many women with trauma it's a few minutes that will lead to months of hellish trauma symptoms. There is no recognition of that and no support for it, just the same old bullshit about breathing and getting it over with.

It might be over and forgotten quickly for the HCP, but for the traumatised person going through the procedure it can be the start of months of significant suffering.

If the NHS wants more women to be able to access care then it needs to start delivering on trauma informed care, instead of the mindless paternalistic crap that damages people and blocks their access to healthcare.

I'm so sick of supposed "reassurance" that's delivered entirely from the perspective of the HCP without any empathy or comprehension that it's not about the HCP. Trauma symptoms do not give a fuck how comfortable a HCP is with conducting invasive procedures, and nor does it care how simple the HCP considers the procedure to be, nor how quickly it will be over from the HCP's point of view. It's about the patient, not the HCP.

As for the "if you can tolerate sex, you can tolerate a smear test"... FFS, do you not think that might precisely be why many women don't attend? Has nobody saying that considered that hearing that might confirm to some women that a smear test is not something they will be able to even contemplate enduring?

Going slightly off topic but the thing I don't understand about only checking for HPV in modern smear tests is what happens if you already have pre-cancerous cells but no HPV? Is that possible? I didn't think all cervical cancer was linked to the HPV virus?

In the UK, it is believed that all cervical cancers are linked to HPV, and this they are now going to test for HPV first, then look for abnormal cells.
It used to be the other way around, so one assumed the HPV screening is quicker / more cost effective.

I’m surprised the main reason most women don’t go is “embarrassment.” Isn’t it more likely to be that it hurts, or at the very least is extremely uncomfortable?

I agree, Puppy!

IIRC, Jade Goody didn’t just avoid smear tests, she didn’t seek medical attention until her tumour was so massive it was protruding from her vagina. Sorry if that’s too graphic. I’m not retelling it to be salacious - I’ve never forgotten it because it was so horrifying. She would have been having symptoms for a very long time, which she ignored.

So although the “remember Jade Goody” stuff circulating on social media is good, anything that might encourage women to get tested is good, it’s kind of a vast oversimplification of the whole story.

I'm one of the ones who hasn't been in 10 years I can't face it it hurts and I find it degrading I know I deserve it if I get cancer

@Caxx

Having cared for my mother as she died from cervical cancer I can promise you no-one deserves to get cancer.

Nobody deserves cancer.
Everybody deserves the chance to beat it.

Caxx - don't be so silly - of course rose you don't deserve it if you get cancer!

@Caxx - cancer isn't a punishment for doing something wrong. My mother didn't deserve cancer becasue she was overweight or because she once had sex or because she missed a smear.

She got cancer because a virus mutated the cells in her cervix and it wasn't picked up by a smear because she as too old for one. Cervical screening might give other women the chance to live instead of die.

I too have had CIN 3 changes which were too far gone for laser treatment and had to have a cone biopsy. I've had annual smears for 20 years until recently on the advice of my doctor. It was nearly always painful. EVERY year.

Still less painful than my mothers cancer was.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to imply your loved ones deserved to get cancer I just meant i could leseen the risk to myself by taking the test I'm fortunate enough to be offered but I struggle with the process

Any publicity is good my friend luckily had it caught early (mainly due to Jade Goody) not every campaign can take every situation into account.

In the UK prostate and testicular exams have been massively published Chris from love island had testicular exam on TV. His brother then got tested and luckily had a lump caught quickly!

Unfortunately showing a smear test on tv is not such an easy option so they need to look at other avenues. Jade Goody is one of the most prominent cases and she fully admitted she put it off due to embarrassment and fear.

Any campaign to tackle this is good if only reaches 10% that this affects is a good thing.

It needs exposure it needs doing, its once every 3 years women can do this 💪