How were you not terrified of getting a smear test?

[Fluffycookie]

So I received a letter from my surgery today regarding the cervical screening test. I'm 25 , and I dread every smear test visit to my GP. Every time I'm in that room, no matter how hard I try to mentally prepare myself, the mere thought of the procedure causes me to panic. I'm not sure where you got your courage and strength. I continue to believe that the sample collection procedure is oppressive. I'm sure there must be a better, less painful way to collect a sample.

This is true but I had( non cervical ). cancer picked up by my smear.

I would genuinely like some advice.. Like PickyEaters, I used to be fine with smears. Now I am definitely not.

In my forties, had them regularly since early twenties no problem at all both before and after babies. Had a GP attempt to fit a copper coil about 10 years ago and she botched it, putting the coil through my uterus wall which I needed a GA and surgery to then remove. Since then I had a horrible experience during miscarriage management whereby I was left fully conscious in considerable pain on a hospital bed, legs akimbo, speculum inside me, pouring blood everywhere whilst the doctor buggered off to answer his phone. He left the door to the corridor wide open.

Giving birth, fine, bring it on. Blood tests/tooth extraction no probs. The thought having one of those bastard things shoved up me and then be scraped just to test for HPV. Please tell me how I can do this? As the thought of having them is genuinely traumatic after all that. I doubt they'll prescribe me enough diazepam to help (I'm fairly used to what diazepam dose effects me because of a shoulder injury). WTF can I do?

I don’t get it, is there a different less invasive job test that you can do at home or something?

Thanks @Pjsandhotchoc and @carefulcalculator
I'm sure this information will be useful to many others reading this thread also. x x

Because it take a matter of minutes for the whole procedure, and that is preferable to cancer any day!

Hpv test not job test!

I feel like you do and I’m in France where there is an alternative - you can self swab!!!
You have to ask for it and not all laboratories offer it but some do. It’s less precise than a smear but then if I’m they find any abnormalities they will call you back for a full smear. I don’t know why they don’t offer this in the UK. I expect cost and the fact it only affects women. Xx

I am more bothered by the hassle of shaving my legs beforehand. No one should have to see my grown-my-own-tights-for-winter.
A thoughtful nurse will warm the speculum in warm water first.

I’ve just booked mine off the back of this thread. Had the letter last week and had mentally decided to put it off until Jan but just called and they have a Saturday appointment so I’m cracking on to get it done.
The build up is worse.

I tend to get my strength and courage from not wanting to die from a potentially avoidable cancer. I am very greatful that the GP’s and nurses offer this optional procedure to protect the female sex.

Because it doesn’t hurt when I’ve had it done and I’ve had a baby so I’ve experienced a lot worse! Also because mine found pre cancerous cells therefore I know they’re important! If yours hurts that much, there may be an issue!

Hi OP

One thing that really helps me is singing while they put the speculum in and while they do the smear. It sounds weird but it makes me much less tense. I do the same for blood tests.

A doctor friend once told me that as long as you don’t stink and aren’t abusive, doctors and nurses don’t mind what you do.

I do tell them that I’m going to sing though.

Is it that hard for those of you in the ‘it doesn’t hurt, why are you making such a fuss’ camp to realise that for some of us, it DOES bloody hurt and have had some really bad & painful experiences we don’t want to repeat? It’s like the dentist - some people are fine, some people will avoid at all costs due to bad experiences.

@Tixkepin and @Orangesatsuma

You can test for HPV at home. Unfortunately, I’ve found after a quick google, that this comes at a cost of around £50.

I’m planning to do this next time my smear test is due. Then if I get a negative result I can decide against the smear test as it’s not going to tell me anything more.

I think it's a bit harsh those of you telling the OP to just grow up. You don't know what she's been through in the past.
I was terrified at 25 too. I was sexually abused as a child so people wanting to put things inside me who I didn't know or trust that well made me clamp up.
I've had one successful smear in 2019 and I'm 36.

It's lovely to hear lots of people find smear tests easy. That's not true for everyone, including me. I have given birth people. That was quite terrifying as well. For me.

To offer something constructive though, the last couple of times the nurse let me insert the speculum myself. It transformed the experience and it was done in a jiffy. Unless the trolling me, the level of difficulty I have is not at all unusual.

1 in 3 women experience gender based sexual or physical violence, so let's not be surprised that some women find this process difficult. Additionally, some women find it difficult regardless of having experienced trauma.

I don't even think about it. It's just an orifice like a mouth or nose

Op I’ve never wanted to go but always have. I have a tilted womb and find it very painful but it’s over so quickly and well worth it in my opinion. I’m not brave they know i find it sore and most times I have tears running down my face but that’s better than not finding out if anything sinister is there, life is too precious.

I’m not scared as there is no reason to be, it’s a quick and painless procedure for me.

I am the biggest wimp but didn’t get scared before my first one, as it’s a bit pointless to be worried when you just need to get on with it

Well in honesty a smear is like a rating of one out of 10 for me. Labour 10 then I've had other procedures down there at good 8, one as result of coil and other as a result of tests from a smear. So in my eyes its fine.

I've never had a painful test.

They offer this optional procedure, but they don’t give us all of the information to be able to decide whether this optional procedure is worthwhile. For me, smear tests are very painful, cause me lots of anxiety in the lead up, bad cramps and discomfort afterwards. At my last smear test, it was not explained to me that my cells would first be tested for HPV, and if negative that no further testing would be done.

I trusted the nurse that carried out my smear would inform me fully of the procedure. She actually told me that the smear was to test for abnormal cell changes. They did not test my sample for that, they threw it away once they got the negative HPV result. So I went through something that was extremely unpleasant for me when I could have got the same results from a simple cotton swab that I inserted myself and sampled myself in the same way that STI checks are done.

So yes, kind doctors and nurses offer this optional procedures, but they do not give us the information to give informed consent and for that I refuse to feel grateful.

I'm so sorry for your awful experiences 😞 some upthread have said about home swabbing for hpv, is this something you'd consider? If you're HPV negative then you could put some serious thought into whether to get a smear or not.

I am also terrified of them. I have extreme pain and a couple of weeks ago had a failed attempt as a result, and now have to go back again with both a GP and nurse present.

I am with you OP. The majority of women seem to manage ok, but for some it is panic-inducing

I am with you, OP. I hate smear tests and I am always upfront with the nurse on my arrival that I am nervous and ask them to go slowly. They have usually all been very good.

I had to have some abnormal cells removed a few years ago in hospital so I am glad I went for the smear which detected them.

It's a necessary evil and I think it's fine and totally normal to find it hard.