Page 10 | to decline cervical screening offer?

Teacupsandtoast · 2022-08-30T17:06:13+00:00

Just that really. Is there a simple process for opting out or is there hoop jumping required? (Which often seems to be the case when it comes to withdrawing consent for anything)

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · 30/08/2022 20:41

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 30/08/2022 20:40

You really think that women aren't having smears because they worry what the doctor thinks? If you bothered reading the thread you'd realise that it's not a few minutes of 'discomfort' for many of us, it's a lot worse than that.

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Yes it's not really a surprise that poster is baffled given her poor level of understanding.

ShhDoNotTell · 30/08/2022 20:41

category12 · 30/08/2022 20:39

So you have never taken a single calculated risk with your body that could have gone wrong for you, and you would be happy to not to get treatment if you did? Don't be daft.

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Presumably these people don’t ever cross a road, turn their oven on, go on a plane — the list is endless. Presumably they also harass people who do, telling them how dumb they are to take their risks when they may die and leave a loved one behind.

bofski14 · 30/08/2022 20:42

What a bizarre question. If you don't care if you live or die, then yeah - skip it. I wasn't going to bother with mine at 24 because I thought I'd be absolutely fine as in England, the first invitation is at 25 and I'm in Wales where the invite threshold is younger. My mother booked me in as she was going for hers. And thank Christ she did because I was found to have CIN3 and needed immediate treatment to save my life. I had ZERO symptoms. I'd only had sex a few times. I was completely fit and well, until I wasn't. Just go. It takes two minutes. Remember, I had ZERO symptoms. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. But my body was trying to kill me from the inside.

LovePoppy · 30/08/2022 20:42

Hbh17 · 30/08/2022 19:04

Mammograms have the potential to lead to over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment. Given that 50% of us will get cancer anyway, it seems a bit pointless and so I'm happy to take my chances.
Also screening doesn't "save lives" because I guarantee that 100% of us WILL die eventually!
I'm obviously not the only person to opt out, because it seemed to be a standard form that they sent me.

I'm happy for others to go for whatever screening they like, but nobody has any right to guilt trip those of us who choose differently.

Over Diagnosis??

Surely it will say yes or no? It wont make the cancer appear?

What am I missing

ShhDoNotTell · 30/08/2022 20:43

bofski14 · 30/08/2022 20:42

What a bizarre question. If you don't care if you live or die, then yeah - skip it. I wasn't going to bother with mine at 24 because I thought I'd be absolutely fine as in England, the first invitation is at 25 and I'm in Wales where the invite threshold is younger. My mother booked me in as she was going for hers. And thank Christ she did because I was found to have CIN3 and needed immediate treatment to save my life. I had ZERO symptoms. I'd only had sex a few times. I was completely fit and well, until I wasn't. Just go. It takes two minutes. Remember, I had ZERO symptoms. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. But my body was trying to kill me from the inside.

CIN3 isn’t cancer.

Notsureaboutusername · 30/08/2022 20:44

A routine cervical smear test probably saved my life. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Cervical Cancer at the age of 36. I had 2 children aged 9 & 7 at the time. Glad I had the test done & lucky the cancer was still contained in the cervix & had not spread.

ShhDoNotTell · 30/08/2022 20:44

LovePoppy · 30/08/2022 20:42

Over Diagnosis??

Surely it will say yes or no? It wont make the cancer appear?

What am I missing

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You’re missing false positives, which lead to unnecessary treatments, some of which, depending on what they are, can have serious long-term consequences.

JaneBrowning · 30/08/2022 20:45

Also screening doesn't "save lives" because I guarantee that 100% of us WILL die eventually!

@Hbh17 That's a daft statement. The point of screening is to catch cancer at Stage 1 or 2 before it's spread when it becomes almost incurable.

Of course screening can save lives. It 'saves' people dying at a young(er) age if they manage to have surgery and treatment before the cancer is advanced.

CuppaTeaAndSammich · 30/08/2022 20:45

category12 · 30/08/2022 20:36

It's not just a few minutes of discomfort to a lot of women. If it is for you, fine, but your experience is not the only relevant one. It doesn't help to be dismissive of what other people experience.

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So they'd rather have the risk of dying of cancer? I do understand people's experiences, thanks.

In MY experience, I knew someone who died of cervical cancer, who was actually too young for smears when they diagnosed it. Had they been able to smear her earlier, they may have caught it in time and she would still be here today.

Bowel screening saved my grandad's life.

Screenings aren't there for the fun of it.

Melroses · 30/08/2022 20:45

LovePoppy · 30/08/2022 20:42

Over Diagnosis??

Surely it will say yes or no? It wont make the cancer appear?

What am I missing

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Screening picks up conditions that may lead to cancer. Not all of them will.

That is the whole dilemma of catching it early, before it can develop into cancer and spread.

CookieCoo · 30/08/2022 20:45

The NHS no longer does cytology if there’s no HPV virus, as they made a value judgement that most (but not all) cervical cancers are caused by HPV. Sadly a large number of women will have their regular smears and still get cervical cancer that goes undetected.

I now pay privately every few years to have the smear and cytology done regardless of HPV. It’s £200, but a much more pleasant experience than my awful GP surgery.

I asked for a blanket to cover my lower half last time the GP surgery nurse did it. She laughed and said it was the NHS. She gave me 1 piece of that awful rough paper roll and that was it as far as dignity went 😂 No curtain around the bed and the end of the bed faced the unlocked door!!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 30/08/2022 20:46

I do understand people's experiences, thanks.

You clearly don't have a clue

CuppaTeaAndSammich · 30/08/2022 20:47

ShhDoNotTell · 30/08/2022 20:43

CIN3 isn’t cancer.

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I think you need to educate yourself on what CIN3 is exactly and its risks.

ShhDoNotTell · 30/08/2022 20:49

CuppaTeaAndSammich · 30/08/2022 20:47

I think you need to educate yourself on what CIN3 is exactly and its risks.

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I have. Extensively.

Unforgettablefire · 30/08/2022 20:49

SaphiraBlue · 30/08/2022 20:03

I couldn’t pass without commenting….

I’ve read through your posts and have seen that you have given no specific reason as to why you no longer want smears, other than you wish to make the choice not to have them.

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 29. Short story - I had 5% survival odds.

The hardest bit wasn’t being told I had cancer, it wasn’t the hell of waiting to find out how far it had spread. It wasn’t the treatment. It wasn’t faking everything was ok….

The hardest bit was watching my 5 year old son sleep and wondering if he was going to have to grow up without me. Nothing is scarier than imaging a life for my son without me there by his side, being there for him when he needed me. That is the most heart wrenching part of my whole experience. I went as far as buying birthday cards for every birthday up until his 21st. I bought a congratulations on passing your driving test - which I wrote him a lecture on not speeding, drink driving and being careful. I wrote him a card congratulating him on his engagement with a message to his future fiancé. I wrote him a message about loving and respecting his partner and how important trust is in a relationship. I wrote a card for the birth of his first child and telling him how I felt when I became his mum.

As part of ongoing treatment I have to see my oncologist who has to do an internal examination every time I see him - smear tests are a walk in the park compared to those.

I was devastated that I had to have a full hysterectomy as I wanted to have more children. So much so I was actually considering risking not having it so I could have another baby.

It took a mother from my son’s school to message me that her friend had just passed away from cervical cancer leaving 4 children without a mum and she couldn’t forgive herself for not mentioning it to me.

I was heartbroken, I was desperate for more children, but I already had a baby that I needed to put first - because as parents that’s what we should do- put our children first.

It’s your life, your choice… but what would your children choose? Would they want you to risk whether or not they grow up with you there?

Thanks to having a smear, despite having 5% survival, I’m now 6 years clear and my son turns 13 in a couple of weeks. That box of birthday cards remains in the attic.

This post made me well up. If this doesn't persuade anyone then nothing will.
Well done on beating the odds I hope you continue to do well. 💐

JaneBrowning · 30/08/2022 20:49

You’re missing false positives, which lead to unnecessary treatments, some of which, depending on what they are, can have serious long-term consequences.

You're missing the point.

Which is that each person makes their own assessment with medical support, on what to do next.

There are very few false positives, especially for cervical cancer.
The treatment now is actually very low-intervention. In NZ and more increasingly in the UK, even women with CIN2 are being monitored as regression occurs in around 70% in up to 2 years, and needs no treatment. CIN1 is monitored for at least 12 months and a biopsy shows if the cells are changing rapidly or not.

If anyone is unsure if they want medical treatment they can ask for a 2nd or even 3rd opinion.

CuppaTeaAndSammich · 30/08/2022 20:49

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hangrylady · 30/08/2022 20:50

Teacupsandtoast · 30/08/2022 18:53

In possession of a complete brain, thank you. Just not going to the appointment means being followed up multiple times with letters, so I just wanted to know what others had done to officially opt out

Oh no! Not a letter that can be ignored and chucked in the recycling. How do you cope?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 30/08/2022 20:52

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Oh fuck off. If you'd actually bothered reading the thread I've had my smear.

JaneBrowning · 30/08/2022 20:53

@SaphiraBlue Such a moving account.😥 I am so glad you survived against the 5% odds you had. I wish you many years of happiness and life. xx

Loics · 30/08/2022 20:53

Is pregnancy the reason you're refusing or did you just use it as an example? You're recommended not to have them during pregnancy anyway, and rearrange for after the baby arrives.
I mean, you could just ignore the letter, they won't hound you. But I think you knew that before posting.

katepilar · 30/08/2022 20:54

The gynecological care seems to be disgrace in the UK. I am sure lots of women wouldnt find the smear test or the speculum painful and bad experience, if there were done at a gynae doctor's office like in other countries.

OP, not sure why so many people on here dont understand what your question was. I understand that you wanted to do better than just ignore the letters that wouldnt stop coming.

Lots of responses suggest they were actually pushed into taking the test without really wanting it done.

ShhDoNotTell · 30/08/2022 20:54

JaneBrowning · 30/08/2022 20:49

You’re missing false positives, which lead to unnecessary treatments, some of which, depending on what they are, can have serious long-term consequences.

You're missing the point.

Which is that each person makes their own assessment with medical support, on what to do next.

There are very few false positives, especially for cervical cancer.
The treatment now is actually very low-intervention. In NZ and more increasingly in the UK, even women with CIN2 are being monitored as regression occurs in around 70% in up to 2 years, and needs no treatment. CIN1 is monitored for at least 12 months and a biopsy shows if the cells are changing rapidly or not.

If anyone is unsure if they want medical treatment they can ask for a 2nd or even 3rd opinion.

I suppose this depends on what you consider low.

For a cancer you have less than 1% chance of getting, I would suggest that people’s perceptions of numbers on this thread are incredibly skewed.

EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 30/08/2022 20:55

FlissyPaps · 30/08/2022 18:36

Yes, I think she’s incredibly stupid to influence non-medically trained women to opt out of a 10 minute 3/5yearly appointment.

I much rather agree with Dr. Pierre Martin-Hirsch‘s argument against Dr. McCartney.

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I can't find what this argument is. I located a New Scientist article but I doubt it's this. I'd be pleased to see a link to his reasoning.

www.newscientist.com/article/mg23831804-400-women-arent-being-told-real-risks-of-cervical-cancer-screening/

oakleaffy · 30/08/2022 20:55

Melroses · 30/08/2022 18:19

Jade Goody was screened.

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Jade went years without screening :(

Hence the advanced stage of her cancer.

@Teacupsandtoast Smears are really uncomfortable-
however
The person doing the testing makes a big difference
Had one done by someone so skilled at them that I couldn’t believe how ok it was- so quick!
Sadly she left the practice.

No one “Likes” smears, but it’s worth it for peace of mind in my opinion.