Smear test - is it normal to find leaves and twigs?

[User748937744]

Ok, clickbait title - for a reason!

I am in my 40s and had my first smear test today. It was so fine and so quick and so painless and so straightforward and I wish I’d been brave enough to go for all the many years I’ve ignored the invitations!

Aibu to tell as many people as I can who might also never have gone to just do it?

I’ll happily go back next time I’m called.

I only went today because I’ve had some symptoms that were concerning.

It was so built up as something embarrassing and possibly painful in my head and it just wasn’t either.

Please, please go. You can always say you’re nervous and would like to be seen by someone really understanding.

Ah, I see, thanks!

I am late perimenopausal & had a smear a few months ago. It wasn’t painful at all & over in minutes so please go

For some balance to above...

I had no issues with them myself when younger, but I can understand that that's not the case for all women and they can be emotionally and or physically painful for all kinds of reasons.

I'm late 50s, post-menopausal, using HRT patches and Estriol. My last one was hell, after the nurse started 'cranking' the speculum, so much so that I asked her to stop after two attempts. No amount of deep breathing etc was going to help. I was in physical pain, felt violated and emotionally quite distressed.
(I had a trans-vaginal ultrasound a few weeks after with no issues at all).

I decided to do an at home HPV test in lieu of the smear and will do this from now on. If I get a positive HPV in future I will request to be seen at Colposcopy/GUM clinic for further testing - not the GP surgery.

I have a tilted cervix and was told to ball both fists and put them under the small of my back to get it in the right position. Had made a world of difference.

I had the tests for some years relatively painlessly but have struggled with it post menopause and with dryness despite them using lots of lube.Finally, they were unable to do it for the pain it caused.BUT, there is now a postal version you can do yourself at home. It is gradually being rolled out on NHS , for everyone in a few areas and for scared women in others. I did it at home, very very easy and painless. I then received a lengthy and detailed report by post with recommendations of any necessary next steps. I was ok thankfully. I would recommend googling this for anyone who finds the test painful if performed at a clinic.

Over-screening does more harm than good. Screening everyone every year is not recommended most places.

I work at a hospital and the women's service offers them to staff. I have found having your legs in those stirrups makes a huge difference. I've had 3 with a practice nurse and they've been awful. My trust also offers gas and air which has been a godsend. I have a blood phobia and pretty much any medical examination or procedure causes me horrendous anxiety. But then, if I did get cancer i would need a hell of a lot of the things I'm scared of. Just have to take a deep breath and get on with it!

It is done from the age of 25 here because cell changes are very common in younger women but cervical cancer is rare meaning that the chance of unnecessary treatment is higher and it can be harmful. Cell changes usually resolve in this age group. It used to be 20 here but the age was raised because the research showed screening at that age caused more harm than good. I do actually remember how many of my friends had further investigations before the change in age and it caused a huge amount of distress and potential issues with further pregnancy for those who ended up with shortened cervices. It’s about balancing the risks and benefits of screening. The HPV vaccine has also massively reduced the risk of high risk HPV in the younger ages groups.
https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2014/04/28/what-is-the-right-age-for-cervical-screening/

The gap between tests is now five years for women who test negative for HPV because their chance of developing cancer within that timeframe is very low. Those with a positive HPV test are invited for more frequent screening.
https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/06/10/nhs-england-changes-cervical-screening-to-every-5-years/

Are you telling me that girls potentially as young as ten, eleven and twelve are having yearly smear tests in your country after they start their periods?!

Yes, spread the message. It’s so simple and could save lives. Hope your results are good.

Hi,
yes, it is advised to be done every year since the first period. Not saying that it was a good experience, because it’s not and I freaked out of having to visit the dr. For the smear test. but this is how it is and how I’ve done. Not that I liked it. But after growing up I realised that I at least knew to to take care of myself. Thanks for the information, I will have a read at the articles you’ve sent. I am no expert to understand how bad they can be, but will certainly read what you sent for information :)
I’ve heard that it changed to 40 years old in the UK. I just hope that this is not too late for some women.

That’s a great thing ! Hopefully when I next need doing I will be able to do from home.

No, it’s not from 40. It’s still offered from 25. You’re welcome for the info 🙂

I’m not surprised you found that so difficult at such a young age and sorry to hear that was your experience.

Stupid, click bait and potentially really offensive for anyone who remembers a reports about a horrendous rape case.

I have had some extremely painful smear tests. And I would say my pain tolerance is about average. After the very first one I had, which was the least painful one Iin my late 20s, I got home and fainted. My mother rang the Doctor Who said this is not uncommon. Because the nerve and that area are very sensitive I also have a friend who said that when she left her doctor surgery after a smear test the previous patient had fainted.. another friend of mine who I would say has a high pain threshold said she had to stop hers because after about 20 minutes of stopping and starting she she thought she too thought she was going to pass out. For many women, it may be straightforward, but I’m not one of them!

Not all. I’ve had the best experience this year with a female gynae on the NHS who operated on me for endo
my consult was 40 mins and she worked with me to find the best options. She did my smear and fitted a coil during my lap, while having to cancel all the other surgeries as mine turned out to be so complex

I have never had such thorough explanations, letters and felt so listened to by any medical professional before and she took the time to spend over 8 hours operating on me to get it right

I went to my last one as my sister had some abnormal cells on hers. I find them incredibly painful which I've been told that it's because I have a retroverted uterus.

I was asked if I wanted to do a pilot scheme which women can do their own at home. I decided not to due to above uterus.

I’m ‘built small’ down there, so to speak, and was once asked ‘Can you actually have intercourse?’ by a woman performing a transvaginal ultrasound. Um, yes thanks, not that it’s any of your business. Why do they think it’s OK to be so personal??

Totally agree we should be encouraging young women to get tested, not scaring them half to death! Yes it's uncomfortable, yes it's awkward as hell and in some cases maybe a little painful but it's necessary for your health and important to get tested regularly especially when it's being offered to you. For myself and the majority of women it is painless and when I say painless I don't mean you lay back and feel nothing.. it's uncomfortable and not a particularly nice but it's also over so quickly! For me personally Ive always had them regularly and have never had a bad experience, slight discomfort but no pain or bleeding and in and out with 10 minutes. I understand this isn't the case for everyone but young women have to see that those women are the minority and be positively influenced by the majority who have better experiences.

So bizarre, stunned that people feel comfortable talking like this to someone.

@JonnieSeagull I'm puzzled as to why a GA would ever be given for a smear. Why not just sedation? That's used for some procedures like camera down throat or up bum. But for something like a smear surely gas and air is all that's needed for women who suffer. It takes away the pain of labour, after all. It's very confusing that the 2 docs have such differing ideas about the importance of screening.

Yes, completely bizarre. There aren't many posts on MN that make me think I must have misread, because you get such weird stuff that it becomes the norm, but this is one. Surely the nurse was aspergic or something.

They are always worth getting. I know someone who went for a routine one recently and it caught cancer. I've got 3 years to wait for my next one (Last was in 2022) but I have just had a biopsy to check for cancer. I think we are so lucky in this country to have these tests at our fingertips, yes they are painful, but not as painful as having cancer.

Gas and air didn't take away the pain of labour for me (with any of my 3 babies), it just helped me calm down enough to breathe through it! But then I always need two jags when I go to the dentist and extra pain relief etc, so maybe it didn't do the job it was meant to for me.

I was asked if I wanted to do a pilot scheme which women can do their own at home. I decided not to due to above uterus.
The home one is just a swab nothing like at the drs

yes, I’m not sure why the consultant said GA, heavy sedation would also be possible.

Gas and air doesn’t work for me. I’ve had it twice. Once in a road accident, once when being induced. It does nothing to me. No light headedness, no euphoria or giggles, nada. Certainly no pain removal. My issue is also that I tear so any form of sedation etc would only be putting off the moment of waking in a blood puddle and in pain, then the pain of healing, splitting, healing. I can tolerate transvaginal scans no problem. It’s the extension of the speculum and associated manoeuvres that is the key issue with a smear.