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?

If you don’t want to get one then fine.

But please stop posting things that implies they don’t save lives, because they absolutely do.

To everyone else that says it’s painful - no it’s not

To everyone who says it's not painful - yes it is.

Really? I read she did have them (did quick Google)

quote fail.
That was in response to the pp saying Jade Goody never had smears.

Exactly. This is why Jade Goody ended up as terminal. She never went for smears so when they checked it was too late.

That's not true. She did go for smears - she ignored a letter about abnormal results because she'd already had abnormal cells removed three times.

She ignored that letter and symptoms. Not smear appointments.

I read this article from a GP on why she's decided to decline smear tests and gives the case against asymptomatic screening which is not without its own risks and detrimental effects:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-i-m-saying-no-to-a-smear-7577967.html

(Not paywalled, just decline to sign up to their newsletter and it will show the rest of the article).

I totally get your reasons for not going and I have the upmost sympathy for you all, but please get the test. I have had cervical cancer and all the trauma that it has caused physically and mentally. I understand it hurts, I understand it can be triggering but having all the other invasive tests and radiotherapy hurts a lot more! If caught early it can be treated really easily. Too many women die of cervical cancer, please don't be one of them.

@JollyAndBright

Because 95% of the time they don’t check or test anything to do with your cervix, it’s just an invasive hpv test. Only if you test positive do they bother checking the cells they take. only a small fraction of specimens collected from smear tests are ever tested so imo its a waste of time.

I know I don’t have hpv so there is no point.
I’d rather pay privately for an actual smear test.

Yes I agree with this. I don't have HPV and nothing has changed since my last smear so don't see the point.

It isn’t “get a smear or get cancer”. My personal risk of getting cancer is minuscule.

It’s get a smear or don’t find out you have cancer until it has significantly progressed. My chance is very small too but I’ll always take what is offered to me because if I am in that tiny unlucky group I’d much rather know about it as soon as possible, even if it’s painful, to increase my chances of survival.

99% of women don’t find smears painful! Who did they ask? Men? And not everyone is at equal risk of getting cervical cancer, lack of smears doesn’t mean cervical cancer.

I should of also said I was having very regular smears and in 3 years it went from nothing to cancer. This is when they tested all smears as well, not just for HPV.

@Saltisford

I mean they are really not painful If you think that’s bad, what do you make of childbirth 🤣

I spent all day thinking my labour was just a bit of trapped wind and I had no pain relief at all because I didn't find it to be all that painful HTH

I mean they are really not painful hmm If you think that’s bad, what do you make of childbirth 🤣

I do find it upsetting to see you laugh. I, like many of us, have been had some serious painful medical issues, all of which I managed to cope with. However, nothing to do with being embarrassed (I'm not at all) a smear test is the most agonising thing for me, hence the medics suggesting a general anaesthetic...thankfully none of them laughed about it though. I so wonder though, how you can tell how painful it is or isn't for other people. I can only feel my own pain, how come you know better than myself that what I am feeling is "not really painful" at all. I'd be interested to know how your superpower works.

@hamsterchump

I read this article from a GP on why she's decided to decline smear tests and gives the case against asymptomatic screening which is not without its own risks and detrimental effects:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-i-m-saying-no-to-a-smear-7577967.html

(Not paywalled, just decline to sign up to their newsletter and it will show the rest of the article).

I was going to share that too. The chances of a smear on an asymptotic woman preventing her death for cancer are really pretty small. Of course there are always individual stories but, at a population level, the risk of skipping them if you have no other risk factors or symptoms is relatively low.

Because I consider myself low risk. It’s screening not diagnostic. I can’t remember the stats but a large number of women need screening and follow up treatment in order to “save one life”.
I was in the initial take up of 21 year olds and they changed it to 25 iirc because the screening of young women was linked to problems in pregnancy. Can’t remember exactly what - ectopic?
Of course if I had any concerns at all I’d make an appt for one.
In order to stop them inviting me I had to write several letters to my local health board.

Exactly. This is why Jade Goody ended up as terminal. She never went for smears so when they checked it was too late.

Jade Goody was highly unusual in that she’d already had abnormal cervical cell at 15. She’d had smears but didn’t go back for treatment after being told her results were abnormal.

There’s a timeline here…
www.goodto.com/wellbeing/how-jade-goodys-cancer-developed-82368/amp

It's just another thing to organise isn't it. My old surgery (we've now moved) would only offer appointments weeks in advance and (unlike my dentist) wouldn't let me say 'can I have the last appointment of the day' or 'I can only do Tuesdays' or whatever. Agree with the comments about periods as well. And knowing it's caused by HPV and being of the generation who came of age during the AIDS crisis in the 80s that always used barrier methods I know my risk is very low. So I delay getting an appointment, just like I delay getting my eyes tested because life is busy. I don't find it embarrassing and it doesn't hurt me (although rather embarassingly I've had HCPs say 'she's very relaxed' ) it's just an easy thing to not get round to.

@SpaghettiArmsMurderer

I find ‘because it’s painful’ a really strange reason to refuse one. Like cancer isn’t painful?

Away with your face!

I've had (a different) cancer. I've also been raped.
My risk of getting cervical cancer is low. My risk of my cancer returning is definitely higher. My risk of pain/trauma from the smear is really very high. I fi d them agonising and triggering.

I've had pain. I've had treatment. I've worried about death. I choose to not have smears. That all OK with you, or have you another emoji ?

I had mine booked and rang back to check it was ok to take my 2 year old. The receptionist was rude and basically said if I have to but he’d need to stay quiet and well behaved.
Unfortunately my 2 yr old HATES being strapped into his and does nothing but scream the whole time (I’ve tried bribes/snacks/Peppa pig literally everything I can think of) he’s a nightmare. I have literally no one I can leave him with. I rang back and cancelled the appointment. I’ll rearrange once he’s in nursery.

I totally agree they are a good thing.
However following ivf I found them increasingly painful and traumatic.
My last one was whilst I was under a GA. If I have any more they will have to be under sedation.

I'm tempted not to have one again because they throw my sample in the bin and don't test it for abnormal cells.

My HPV test is negative, DP isn't cheating on me plus we rarely have PIV intersperse so the chance of me getting HPV is as near to zero as it can be.

Therefore all that discomfort only to have the sample binned, it's a waste of time.

Have flicked through but not RTFT, does everyone else have their sample binned and not tested due to negative HPV?

My last proper smear before this policy change did identify some cell changes and I've been agitating for a new smear to check these are OK but no dice...considering a private one for peace of mind

I missed them for many years when having my babies as I ( wrongly ) thought any problems would be picked up at antenatal checks / scans etc. Didn't consider myself high risk as I've only ever had one sexual partner. Was embarrassed about my weight. Then last year had a few Gynae problems and had a smear and found to have HPV which i was totally shocked about. Will not miss any again now.

Like PPS, I'm post menopause and I found my last one extremely painful. I had to have a biopsy, which is done with just local pain relief. We should have the option of having painless procedures. They would be if men were getting them. As you age your pain threshold gets less. I'm supposed to get them yearly, but I'm now two years overdue and won't be going this year. My Mother found out that she had Cancer via a smear and it was advanced enough for her to need a full hysterectomy. But it won't change my mind.

I missed mine as I had to work last minute, I haven't rescheduled yet but I definitely will . However I'm stressed as they now only look for abnormal cells if you have HPV, however at 28 I had severe cell changes with 2 lletz treatments and colposcopies etc and I was HPV negative. If the protocol then was the same as now I'd probably have died by now. I don't know what to do about it.