To ask why you’ve missed/delayed/declined cervical screening?

[chickentikkawhatswrong]

I see a lot of the campaigns on Facebook about women not going to smears or putting them off for too long.

However it’s generally stats and doesn’t seem to delve too far into the actual reasons?

If you are reluctant what holds you back from attending?

To all of you that said you had trauma (either birth or sexual abuse) - that’s understandable and I feel for you but you should get some counselling and get the test done.

It doesn't work like that. Trauma gets built into the neural pathways in your body, it's very difficult to change them just by talking. The brain responds to triggers through the emotional part that cannot be directly instructed through conscious thought from the pre-frontal cortex. Also most counselling on offer, particularly in the NHS (if you can even get it in the first place) is entirely inadequate for complex PTSD and trauma, and many other counsellors who say they deal with trauma really have little idea or proper training.

It's been 10 years since I had one. There is a very high false positive rate, leading to invasive, unnecessary treatment.

@Rummikub

Isn’t it true that incidence of cervical cancer in nuns is low/nil?

Cervical cancer is transmitted by a virus. Virgins don’t get cervical cancer.

Trauma from sexual abuse and rape

@OldTinHat

I've not had one in over 20 years. I'm 50. I've also declined a breast mammogram recently.

If its my time, its my time.

I was a decliner too, I'm 54 and was diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer on Wednesday. Believe me the biopsy was far worse than a smear test. My consultant called it "The Large Tumour" when she was explaining what will now happen. Tumour. In black and white it's awful, spoken in the same sentence as "your" is, believe me much worse. I've to have chemo and radiotherapy 5 days a week for 14 weeks and then see what they want to do. Ladies, GO FOR YOUR SMEAR TEST.

@Pegasushaswings

How do even know if you’ve had the HPV jab? I don’t know if I have had it and before anyone has a dig, my memory is shot after the last two years and the menopause so I genuinely don’t know!

Not had the screening since maybe 2015? Had a baby , moved location ,lockdown, rubbish surgery with horrible receptionists and a ‘womens health’ nurse who you can only speak to once a week on the phone.

@Pegasushaswings

The hpv vaccine only became routine for young women in 2008,
So if you school before 2008 chances are you won’t have had it.

Also if you were born before 1991 you are not eligible for the vaccine.
I know people who have tried to pay to get it privately and been refused.

No.

Most cervical cancer is transmitted by a virus. Virgins very rarely get cervical cancer. It isn’t impossible.

@Igloo79

No.

This answer is enough.

Rummikub

Isn’t it true that incidence of cervical cancer in nuns is low/nil?

Cervical cancer is transmitted by a virus. Virgins don’t get cervical cancer.

Seriously, why are people so stupid....

I had mine regularly until Covid and then I couldn't bear the thought of having it whilst masked (sexual assault survivor) and also Covid for various reasons seems have brought back old trauma responses in general. No one seems to care much about this though.

Exactly the same here. I have always found it difficult, humiliating and painful, then couldn't have one as was pregnant and then had a miscarriage (and D and C) and then it was Covid and then couldn't have it as no appointments during the pandemic, and now I can't face it in a mask. I can wear a mask generally, just can't deal with it during that, it's too much.

And the very first post displays the ignorance and dismissal so many of us face!

I have endo and I'm a survivor of Csa so I find it very anxiety inducing AND Physically quite painful NOT just uncomfortable as so many who ARROGANTLY assume everyone has the same experience as they do with it often say, and it always makes me bleed and be in pain for DAYS afterwards

There are less traumatising alternatives which unfortunately aren't available on nhs

I do get them but I put it off until last point

What I absolutely won't accept is it being done by a man! And I will fight to the death for that for myself and all women and girls

Patronising “just do it duh” adverts that Ive seen over the years are not helpful.

Absolutely

The whole eye rolley "it's just a little embarrassing and uncomfortable" crap!

No! For quite a lot of us it's painful and traumatising!

And also this isn’t the main reason but I’m just sick of the misogyny in female healthcare.

Me too

an alternative would have been invented decades ago.

There are alternatives nhs won't use them

Why aren't men invited to regular invasive screenings?

They won't/don't go

Mint5 I was with you until the fat shaming crap - Which I have reported prejudice is never "truthful"

FizzyBiz but there are non invasive alternatives for those of us like your friend or for whom it's painful - hell for everyone! Should be able to have those instead? We are being repeatedly let down healthcare wise

persephone19 so why can't we have the non invasive non traumatic testing on the nhs?

Self testing for hpv and then only inviting for smears those that test positive would SURELY also save the nhs a fortune!?

but you should get some counselling and get the test done.

Why should we further go through trauma simply because the nhs/govt seemingly cba to sort this?!

And I've had a shit ton of counselling! It only goes so far, it doesn't stop it being painful or making me bleed and it doesn't erase my history or feel safe around men doing something so personal and invasive

And HOW DARE you patronisingly tell us it's not painful?! Just because it isn't for YOU!

DO YOU have endo? Fibroids? A damaged cervix? A retroverted or bicornate uterus or a pain condition exacerbated by such procedures? I'm guessing very much NOT!

Such an arrogant and patronising post

DO NOT invalid our real lived experiences!

Frankly I'm not convinced you're even a woman

Has ANYONE said they don't go solely out of embarrassment? I think not. This is a thread FULL of traumatised women and your weak backpedaling is hardly worth your posting

YOU aren't being at all understanding or supportive of those of us who've been through HELL in our lives and that is why we feel as we do re smears

flourella  I have severe ocd too doesn't affect me in quite the same way but you have my total sympathy

the threat of being weighed means I won't seek medical attention for anything.

I hear you. They blame EVERYTHING on you being overweight if you are. I've even had hcps try to tell me allergies and asthma I've had all my life (I didn't gain weight until my 30's) are due to me being overweight! It's fucking ridiculous! During the pandemic when it was phone appt only I actually got an issue I'd had for a few years FINALLY correctly dx - it had been misdx as a condition that only affected the overweight!

One of the problems in medicine is this type of sweeping misogynistic bullshit that downplays women's pain and discomfort.

Hear hear

@Saltisford another arrogant poster

With the endo and a 27 hour labour that went very wrong and ended in emcs, twisted ovary, complex mc BELIEVE ME I know pain smears are still incredibly painful and traumatising for me it is NOT for you or anyone else to tell me or anyone else that we are being wimps!

@AngelinaFibres many surgeries WON'T do it while women are on their period mine won't and actually WHY should women go through that indignity to simply convenience hcps?

Ask the dr to prescribe you medication that postpones your period and start taking it 5 days before your appt. That's what I had to do as I had the same issue.

Why?! Why should women have to take UNNECESSARY Medication again for the convenience of hcps?!!! Meds that are awful side effects wise for many women (and I speak as someone on noriday permanently for the endo and it suits me personally fine but I know others it doesn't)

You don't automatically get cancer if you don't have smears.

Exactly

For 99% of women a smear test isn’t painful or instructive.

Bull! This thread proves that there's been similar threads on sm too

Not having smear tests greatly increases your risk of getting cancer.

Utter rubbish!

The 3 friends I know who do not have smears just do not go, no trauma, pain, nothing and we are close but they just choose not to go as in could not be bothered

I don't know why women on here get so annoyed about other women not getting smears. It's their decision and their risk. It doesn't affect you. If they don't go and they do get cervical cancer with the unpleasant treatment it involves, well, their problem.

And yes I know it's cheaper for the NHS if everyone plays nicely and gets their smear tests, but it's also cheaper if you don't drink heavily and eat too much, too.

Apologies for duplicate posting app went weird on me

Also if the NHS really cared about this they'd stop fannying around with "pilots" and get the home tests rolled out pronto.

Why aren't men invited to regular invasive screenings?

There isn’t a good prostate screening test available.

Had to have treatment as the NHS didn’t send me reminder letters for some reason. Had treatment, when I was discharged was told I should have them every year for ten years. letter from one of the worlds leading cancer hospitals.

Moved, booked one with new GP, refused to do it as “my last three were negative, even if I do it, they won’t test the sample”. Had to pay and go private. This was about ten years ago. Moved again, lived here 5 years and had one since then. I doubt I’d be able to book in at the moment as our surgery is only seeing very urgent things, most are still telephone/email consultation.

Not having smear tests greatly increases your risk of getting cancer

Oh dear. It's a test to see if you have cell changes that may lead to cancer. And now it's not even that, it's to see if you have active HPV>

It has no bearing whatsoever on whether you will ever get cancer, only if it's caught before it gets serious.

If the NHS wants more to screen then it should stop wasting money on awareness campaigns and roll out self testing that can be done at home

I should have read your comment before I cross-posted!

@JuergenSchwarzwald

Not having smear tests greatly increases your risk of getting cancer

Oh dear. It's a test to see if you have cell changes that may lead to cancer. And now it's not even that, it's to see if you have active HPV>

It has no bearing whatsoever on whether you will ever get cancer, only if it's caught before it gets serious.

The idea is that abnormalities that have the potential to become cancer are treated before they do. Technically many of those abnormalities will not be classed as cancer at the point when they’re treated. This does reduce the number of cervical cancers.

@AngelinaFibres

All the people saying they can't fit it around their periods. You don't need to. You can have it done when you are having your period. The nurse won't care in the slightest. Just tell her.Remove whatever sanitary product you are using. Wrap it and put it in the yellow bin. Replace with a clean one immediately afterwards . It doesnt affect the result or the experience. Women have periods. It's fine.

You can't have a smear while on your period.

"Can I have a smear test when on my period? No, you should postpone your smear test if you are on your period. Blood cells on the sample make it difficult to read the test. It is recommended that you make an appointment one week after your last bleed.

sh24.org.uk › genital-health

@WonderfulYou

I find the appointments difficult to get. There needs to be more evening and weekend appointments as most people work mon-fri 9-5 so why not have more clinics outside of these times.

I feel so sorry for grown women who find it ‘embarrassing’.
You should never be ashamed of your genitalia.
I can guarantee that no matter how ‘odd’ or different you think yours may look, the nurses won’t bat an eyelid.

Because doctors, nurse and admin staff have a life to and want to be with family at the weekends.