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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

535 replies

User748937744 · 01/10/2025 18:18

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.

OP posts:
Change2banon · 06/10/2025 23:31

user1493379562 · 06/10/2025 20:24

Well I guess things have changed a lot since I had my 1st coil fitted. It was before I got married and before I had children. It felt queasy going in and that night I was in agony (this was the old copper coil). I had a hot water bottle on my front and one on my back and took pain killers. It was so bad I had made my mind up to go back to the Well woman clinic and get it taken out. I must have passed out and when I woke in the morning the pain was gone. I couldn't believe it! It certainly made my periods heavier but as a contraceptive it worked. Eventually I got married and when we decided to start a family and had it removed. They told us to be careful (use condoms) for the 1st month which we did. The following month I fell pregnant straight away. I had another one fitted six weeks after the birth of my baby. This time it was a copper 7 Not so bad this time and I kept it in until we decided to go for another child. Same experience I fell pregnant as soon as we stopped using condoms. After I had given birth I had another one fitted but said to my husband it was his turn next. I put up with the heavy periods for another two years until he had a vasectomy. Unfortunately over few years my periods got heavier and heavier so that I actually flooded each month. I saw a gynecologist who tried me on Mefenamic acid and another drug that I can't recall but they made no difference. I ended up having an endometrial ablation. Then a few years later had an prolapse and had a hysterectomy. It was while actually working in the gynecology dept I overheard the consultant telling a registrar that they had stopped that procedure because all the women ended up needing a hysterectomy and the go to thing now was to have the Marina coil fitted instead.

What does this have to do with a smear test? 😵‍💫

user1493379562 · 07/10/2025 09:21

What does this have to do with a smear test? 😵‍💫 Sorry wrong thread. I thought I had deleted it!

Change2banon · 07/10/2025 10:38

user1493379562 · 07/10/2025 09:21

What does this have to do with a smear test? 😵‍💫 Sorry wrong thread. I thought I had deleted it!

Ah that makes sense 😁😁

Louiseeeeeeee · 14/10/2025 17:52

I always get mine on time. Always come home normal. This year was different. In Feb I came back with mild changes. So had a colposcopy in May which then came back as moderate on the biopsy. By September my changes were severe and I had to have LLTEZ procedure. Had I not gone. A few more years...don't think I would be here now. I think they should be done a bit more than 3 years. But GET YOUR SMEAR

bluebettyy · 14/10/2025 19:46

Louiseeeeeeee · 14/10/2025 17:52

I always get mine on time. Always come home normal. This year was different. In Feb I came back with mild changes. So had a colposcopy in May which then came back as moderate on the biopsy. By September my changes were severe and I had to have LLTEZ procedure. Had I not gone. A few more years...don't think I would be here now. I think they should be done a bit more than 3 years. But GET YOUR SMEAR

It’s changed to every 5 years now if you come back clear for hpv

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 14/10/2025 21:26

bluebettyy · 14/10/2025 19:46

It’s changed to every 5 years now if you come back clear for hpv

Show quote history

I’m still being hassled my surgery to go every 3 years

Idontpostmuch · 15/10/2025 07:58

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 14/10/2025 21:26

I’m still being hassled my surgery to go every 3 years

Show quote history

I think the change to 5 yrs is recent.

janj52301 · 08/11/2025 21:18

I was due one at 65 years old but no, not allowed after 64. Also no mammogram recall after 70 but you can book it yourself every 3 years

Idontpostmuch · 09/11/2025 09:03

janj52301 · 08/11/2025 21:18

I was due one at 65 years old but no, not allowed after 64. Also no mammogram recall after 70 but you can book it yourself every 3 years

@janj52301 I think they stop too early. I recently went for what should have been my last, at 61. HPV pos, no abnormal cells. I'll be tested again in a year. If I'd got the virus shortly after my 'last' test, I'd never have known. If you want, you can have a private test. Not vaccine because it's only authorised for under 45 yrs. Strange that automatic mammogram recall stops at 70, when risk of breast cancer increases with age.

Beesarestrong · 10/11/2025 12:18

janj52301 · 08/11/2025 21:18

I was due one at 65 years old but no, not allowed after 64. Also no mammogram recall after 70 but you can book it yourself every 3 years

You can do your own. I've been doing that for a few years as I found smears so painful. https://www.check4cancer.com/products/cervical-cancer-screening-test

I also do the bowel screening test every second year from the above company.

Cervical Cancer Screening Test

HPVCheck, the simple, non-invasive and private at-home screening test for early cervical cancer detection for women aged 25+. No doctor’s appointment or internal exam needed: Collect your own sample easily with full instructions provided. A smear-free...

https://www.check4cancer.com/products/cervical-cancer-screening-test

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