All women and people with a cervix every five years now smear test

[justasking111]

Five years in Wales is this the norm in England, Scotland, Ireland?

Our surgery put it up on their FB page this week.

It was three years here last time I checked.

Yabu it's fine no reason to be concerned

Yanbu it's too big a gap.

Inclusive language harms no one, and it’s important for everyone to get checked regardless of gender identity and if adding that bit extra on encourages someone to get tested when they mightn’t have otherwise I can’t see it as anything but a good thing

Except it does harm people though. Using clunky language like ‘women, and other people with a cervix’ is going to be confusing for some women who don’t speak fluent English and for some women with learning disabilities for example. And may mean they don’t get the tests they need.

So - inclusive for who? Whose inclusivity is prioritised?

I don't think that any scientist will confidently say "all" Here's the story posted in 2022. Apparently the non HPV cancers won't be found by the current smear process and a test hasn't been developed that will find them. www.obermair.info/latest-news/blog/how-common-is-non-hpv-cervical-cancer/#:~:text=Rare%20subtypes%20such%20as%20clear,the%20HPV%2Dnegative%20cervical%20cancers.

They aren’t even testing for pre-cancerous cells anymore. That’s the scandal here, not the frequency. They don’t look for cells unless you are positive for HPV. That’s all they test for on most smears. HPV isn’t the only cause of cervical cancer. They should be looking. It’s an unpleasant and invasive test, and not checking the full range of possibilities when they have the sample stinks. I’m 59 and won’t be going again. If I had HPV I’d know it by now, I’m not sexually a tive so won’t be catching it. It’ll be a total waste of everyone’s time. I could still have cervical cancer though, but nobody would check.

This is very true. I’d never had an abnormal smear and have been with the same partner for 20 years. Got the shock of my life at the last one at the age of 56 it showed high risk HPV and borderline cell changes. I have had chemotherapy and other treatment for breast cancer in recent years. I was congratulating myself on it being my penultimate one as they stop at 64 but now I have to have another one in a year and who knows after that.

How long for? Cos I’d bet not as long as it would have to manage for me.
And still, it’s unreasonable to fail to test for pre cancerous cells.

Gosh that's scary.

I just did a quick Google as to private costs it's around £250

Unless it was a cancer caused by HPV it wouldn’t get it now. They aren’t even looking.

My daughter was in either the first or second cohort of the general roll out and she’s 28, so I doubt you did.

When I went for a 'pap smear' last year I was told the old pap smear test was done every 2-3 years. The new test is actually called HPV screening and is much more accurate and only needs to be repeated every 5 years. The process of cell collection is the same, therefore some places still call it a pap smear when it is actually a different test.

A woman who lives as a man with a male name and.courtesy of hormones a male voice and facial hair may still retain a cervix.

There was somebody with a full ginger beard and male name etc who wrote for the Guardian. Still had a cervix and bore children. Got involved in litigation over whether birth cert should describe them as mother or father.

Inclusive language helps ensure such people are captured for smears etc. It does no harm to the rest of us.

I’m happy the put the word “women” in that sentence.
And first, before the “people”

it’s a win.

Unless you are a virgin you will need to continue attending, the hpv virus can stay dormant for many years (giving a negative test) then randomly reactivate causing cancerous cells

as I said, the link I posted explains it. The "sexually active" thing is true but HPV, like many virusses can be dormant for years. For your info, I did my own risk assessment on this information when my husband died and took the same decision. Taking action when so called "pre cancerous" cells were found was resulting in massive and extreme over intervention. Science moves forward all the time

Men fare no better. DH had the turps surgery, then again a few years later under the knife again his prostate just kept growing. He was told to get a PSA test via the GP two years post surgery. OMG he had to fight for it. His brother who also had the operation. Last year was diagnosed with cancer.

So whether it's a cervix or prostate, you need to argue for testing.

I think that’s unfair. It’s a thread about smears and testing, fair enough as that’s an important topic.

However, whilst it may be clear to you or others as to what is meant by a trans man, a significant proportion of the British public is confused by the terminology.

So it’s probably a good thing to clarify this when talking about an important medical matter.

YANBU

This announcement specifically doesn’t do that though. I thought this was the wording that was wanted? But it’s still not good enough. I’m GC and think people shouldn’t need to label themselves as either but this seems inclusive wording to me.
Anyway MN have asked people to stop making this point, though they haven’t. I finally got needled into replying though, so well done.

Sounds like I must have confused it with another vaccine teen girls were given at the time.

Only women have a cervix ... ?

This is a thread about smear tests NOT about trans issues 🙄🙄

the cancers not caused by HPV are extrememly rare and were not caught by the old test either..see my earlier post

I am mid 30s and I was too old. A 28 year old being one of the first to have it sounds about right

10-20 years apparently. I agree cells need to be tested.

I'm a woman but I haven't got a cervix so I don't need smear tests. I think on this occasion the language is useful.

How is it confusing for non-fluent speakers. It says ‘all women’. The other bit is for a very small group who will absolutely understand it.