AIBU - Smear test

[Dibble135]

A lot of money is being spent on a TV campaign encouraging women to go for smear tests.

Fortunately I am not one of those who are reluctant to attend but if I was, I think my experience of trying to get an appointment would cause me not to bother.

Just been to the GP surgery having taken time out of work to be told my appointment has been cancelled for what is now the third time.

No one bothered to tell me before I attended and no explanation as to why.

To add insult to injury, I had to yell my personal details across the counter because the receptionist did not get up from his computer to come and speak to me and I could see the lady I was booked in with having a coffee and a chat with her colleagues.

@justsippingsometea my thoughts were more directed at young people who don't seem to consider condoms as an option, just straight to hormonal birth control

Do you always victim blame? Condoms don't prevent spread of HPV in the way they can prevent STIs. They may reduce the spread, but they don't prevent it. HPV can easily be contracted in a long term relationship where condoms aren't the most appropriate form of contraception. Finally, you can contract HPV at any age, why target young people? What an uninformed post. Vaccines are fantastic and the HPV vaccine has reduced cervical cancer rates already. It's not 'damning', it's public health. Absolutely disgusted by your post, it's only going to maintain guilt and stigma around HPV.

I was really more thinking about the poor sexual health education young people get, and how GPs tend to give out hormonal birth control to teenagers like sweets.

I don't really think I said anything to be 'disgusted' by, you can disagree and not be 'disgusted'.

you really better hope that you don’t need it then….I’d hate to think what you’d do in the event of a serious accident!

How fucking dare you. How dare you.

Take your self righteous victim blaming and learn some humility when someone living with severe trauma tells you about their experience.

What happens when I am seriously ill or injured? I come to serious harm attempting to access medical care. I am left further damaged with a limited life expectancy. That is what has already happened to me.

No amount of pompous lectures from you changes that. That is the NHS's fault and your choice to blame me and women like me is repugnant. Surviving cancer does not give you the right to behave like that and you bring shame on yourself.

How fucking dare you. You should be ashamed. Instead of doubling down and telling me I basically deserve to die for being traumatised, how about you learn to apologise and listen when you fuck up?

@SundaysinKernow I already have a limited life expectancy because the NHS fails women with severe trauma like me. So well done you for blaming me and making me feel shit.

I hope you feel good about yourself for deliberately causing me pain.

I had no problem booking a smear test a few months ago, nor the follow-up with the GP - the smear itself was fine, but I am now waiting to see gynae at the hospital to remove a cervical polyp they spotted. (Would have been Monday, but they just postponed for a couple of months.)

@Urbanisation

OP yanbu. I'm completely fed up of this narrative around smear tests, like if you don't have one YOU WILL DIE and that the only reason women don't go is because they're silly things embarrassed about their pubes. Rather than it being anything to do with: difficulty scheduling scarce in advance appointments with cycles including irregular cycles; pain (especially for women 40+ - this is not just 'discomfort'); prior trauma (1 in 3 etc). And that's before you even get to the treatment, which is lopping off bits of your cervix that may at some point in the future become cancerous, but probably won't, but that leaves you at with increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and preterm birth at some point in the future, regardless.

It's like this massive woman-blaming woman-maiming incompetent malfunctioning state machine that can't keep a diary, all wrapped up in stupid fucking cozy language about cheery nurses who apparently have "seen it all". Fuck off.

Yes to every single bit of this.

@formalineadeline I think you’ll find you (and others) started off by projecting your personal experience on what I sensibly said about having screening to prevent illness leading having to have serious and highly invasive treatments. Screening ultimately saved my life. You made rather negative comments about treatment on the NHS in general - I consider we are lucky to have free healthcare which in general does a great job. I’m writing this from a hospital bed following yet another operation so yes I am very supportive of the healthcare services which in the main does an awesome job! Doesn’t mean it’s perfect and that people don’t have bad experiences but that is not the case for the majority. I will always advocate for having testing which could prevent the incredibly traumatic treatments I have had to go through & the life long impacts it has. No one forces you to have screening or treatment but to suggest it is wrong to encourage screening for serious conditions is irresponsible. That is different from raising awareness that some people need more understanding when going through intimate procedures.

@justsippingsometea

I was really more thinking about the poor sexual health education young people get, and how GPs tend to give out hormonal birth control to teenagers like sweets.

I don't really think I said anything to be 'disgusted' by, you can disagree and not be 'disgusted'.

Sounds like you've had poor sexual health education too if you think condoms prevent HPV transmission. I'm in favour of access to hormonal contraception, belt and braces approach.

What's disgusting is your attitude to HPV and the people who carry HPV. As though they're to blame for contracting it. It's a virus, god knows after the last two years we're all aware viruses transmit. It's what they do. Would you blame someone for having a cold sore, or covid? Lots of women feel dirty when they find out they've got HPV, as though they've done something wrong, and posts like yours don't help. How can you possibly criticise the vaccine programme? It's fantastic. I missed it by 3 months (too old, just) and I wish, wish, wish I'd had that vaccine.

Perhaps I have had poor education.

I'm not blaming anyone or criticising the vaccine program.

I have HPV and have had to have treatment for it.

Your surgery sound shite and I'd write to the practice manager about their behaviour.
Practically speaking though, have you tried a sexual health clinic? My GP surgery didn't have any appointments for a month and I didn't want to leave it that long and get myself worked up about it, so I went to a local sexual health clinic instead. Got an appointment for a couple of days after I phoned.

@justsippingsometea

I completely agree that women's health is criminally neglected but condoms were available during in the pandemic and it's a massive shame people don't use them.

They seem to be 'last resort' - there should be a huge campaign to get both men and women to consider them as their first choice since they are the only form of contraception to prevent STIs and also non-hormonal.

It seems that GPs push every young girl on the pill or similar - potentially exposing her to HPV (and therefore cervical cancer) and every other STI under the sun and completely absolving the man of responsibility.

Absolutely does my head in. Not to mention the increased risk of breast cancer and PCOS, blood clotting.

Self-testing smears seem like an absolute no brainer - it's got to be cheaper as well!

Are there any organisations/charities that focus solely on women's health, does anyone know?

Agree with almost everything you say except that there is no evidence that hormonal contraception leads to an increased risk of PCOS. Just in case someone reads this and thinks this is true.

@WeddingFavour

Are you aware that you can have the vaccine privately? I missed the vaccine by a few months as well and I was so worried that I had to save up to get it privately. It might still be an option for you?

@itsbritneybitch92

You're right, I was being a bit conflatory there - there's an anecdotal link but no legit evidence.

I think it's fair to say though that often PCOS only gets diagnosed when trying to conceive as the pill has disguised the symptoms up until that point, and I think this is equally problematic and frustrating for women.

[quote itsbritneybitch92]@WeddingFavour

Are you aware that you can have the vaccine privately? I missed the vaccine by a few months as well and I was so worried that I had to save up to get it privately. It might still be an option for you?[/quote]
By the time it was available privately to me I was sexually active in a long-term relationship and so didn't go for it. With hindsight that was a mistake. I've now had an abnormal smear so too late anyway. But thank you so much for pointing this out. I think their age cut-offs were far too young back in 2008, there will be lots of us who just missed out despite not being sexually active.

I must be one of the lucky ones as i had a smear and my coil changed last summer (separate appointments). It's the actual getting an appointment is tricky with my surgery, but staff are all lovely when you get to see them face to face. However i feel that they are still OTT regarding covid with locked front door etc

I used to go to a drop in clinic years ago. It meant it didn’t matter if I didn’t know my cycle also I wouldn’t suffer the anxiety of knowing I had an appointment. I am much better at just getting up and going than planning it in.

Good luck getting a smear test nowadays! They just test you for HPV and if you’re clear you can’t access a smear test.

After receiving a text message from the today surgery today, it seems I now have two appointments. One for next week which I didn’t book and one for two weeks time which I did.

I have asked for clarification re which I’m supposed to attend…

Absolutely absurd, I'm sorry that happened.

You just know that if men had these tests too, there'd be much less stigma and more discretion.

@waterbottoe13
Yes my last smears have had to be in theatre they’ve tried to do them in gps inverted womb this time I’m taking a pillow to raise my hips a book and sweets to avoid a trip to to theatre. And yes my 10 months with coil was hell put in under GA removed under GA.

@Urbanisation

OP yanbu. I'm completely fed up of this narrative around smear tests, like if you don't have one YOU WILL DIE and that the only reason women don't go is because they're silly things embarrassed about their pubes. Rather than it being anything to do with: difficulty scheduling scarce in advance appointments with cycles including irregular cycles; pain (especially for women 40+ - this is not just 'discomfort'); prior trauma (1 in 3 etc). And that's before you even get to the treatment, which is lopping off bits of your cervix that may at some point in the future become cancerous, but probably won't, but that leaves you at with increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and preterm birth at some point in the future, regardless.

It's like this massive woman-blaming woman-maiming incompetent malfunctioning state machine that can't keep a diary, all wrapped up in stupid fucking cozy language about cheery nurses who apparently have "seen it all". Fuck off.

I am with you on this. I dont like my cervix to be scratched with that brush, so I dont have it done. I find it weird that its not discussed what consequensed this might have.
(The same goes for PCR covid tests, I dont want the back of my nose to be scratched every week /as it was done for several months in my home country/. There have been people who had complications afterwards.)

Anyway I also think that way too little effort is made to make woman feel respected and their dignity protected.

You just know that if men had these tests too, there'd be much less stigma and more discretion.

Yes. Like with so many other aspects of life :(