I’ve never had a smear test and I don’t want one either

[Seventeenstars]

Controversial I guess, I’m 36.
I don’t think it’s necessary, as I’ve read about my risk factors and I don’t meet the criteria. All the men I’ve slept with (without protection) were virgins and yes I know they were for sure.
I also have no family history of any cancer.
My partner has prostate cancer in both sides of his family, his dad has it currently and he’s not even been offered a screening test for this.
I find this so frustrating and contradictory when women and men are treated so differently and if you refuse smear or breast screening you’re seen as an awful person, and those who do are morally superior.
Men aren’t coerced into invasive internal examinations.
I have an aversion to having things inserted in me internally and feel I have a right to that decision regarding my body.
There are home tests for HPV available, which I have done myself in the past - all clear.
My question is why do they persist with this archaic procedure when there are other options available?

I keep getting phone calls from my GP surgery trying to persuade me to book a test. I don’t understand why they’re always pushing it, but just totally dismiss other medical issues, which has been my experience several times.
Do they get extra commission for this or something?
There are even pop up ‘clinics’ and drop in sessions going ahead near me.

Of course I know I’ll be bombarded with replies saying I’m selfish, stupid and uneducated. I’ve even read other women saying that those who refuse should be denied any medical care!
But I have done my research and I am more than aware of the implications.

There are lots of suggestions here for women who struggle with smear tests. These will all take extra time and it even suggests extra appointments. Asking for this sort of support where there's a necessity is very different to a routine test when there is an alternative to just manage your own HPV test.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-support-for-people-who-find-it-hard-to-attend/cervical-screening-support-for-people-who-feel-anxious-about-attending

“they’re really not that bad to have done”

In your experience.

For some women, including myself and other women I know, they don’t just involve ‘mild discomfort’ but pain. To the extent mine have had to be done in hospital where the specialist team has access to techniques and ‘chairs’ which can put the patient in a position making their cervix more accessible.

The statistics on the prevalence and risks of getting breast cancer vs the (much lower) risk of cervical cancer always made sense to prioritise breast screening

You can opt out here OP: https://csas.nhs.uk/forms/screening-cease-opt-out-patient/

The form to attach is this:
https://csas.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Informed-Consent-for-withdrawal-from-the-Cervical-Screening-Programme-1.docx

Email the form to your GP too or they'll keep ringing you, it's two different recall systems.

Congratulations. Would you like a hat and balloon? 🎈

It's an option - with some GPs. It is far from standard.

You, you do. But it's a stupid decision.
I know a young woman someone who's live was saved because of a smear test. Without it her child would have lost his mother

Very possibly. But post screening, many people are treated for presentations that would have resolved on their own. They are treated unnecessarily and this can have negative health consequences too.

There are harms associated with screening as well as benefits. Trying to get the balance right (at a population level) is one reason the medical profession are constantly making adjustments to the programme.

WOULD have resolved on their own, or COULD have resolved on their own?

That's a fairly big difference and one that can't actually be answered for each individual without actually leaving the condition to see if it does resolve.

As someone who has been on the rough end of a cervical cancer diagnosis, not an experiment I would suggest

I am an oncology nurse and have worked in oncology for over 20 years. I haven’t worked in gynae oncology for about 10 years now so treatments I’m sure have improved but metastatic cervical cancer is a tricky cancer to treat and patients had a lot a pain and prognosis was pretty poor. For the sake of a smear test every 3 years I just couldn’t put myself or my family through that experience. I’m biased i know working in healthcare but I’m grateful for our public healthcare and screening programs- they do save lives. No one is going to force you to have this procedure but it may be worth thinking about the alternative and potentially not picking up an early treatable cancer or an HPV infection which increases your risk

Honestly it’s up to you, of course it your body.
Me personally I’m thankful that’s available and free.
Also it’s not really that bad, awkward yes but over in seconds - last time me and nurse spent that whole time talking about my trip to ikea !

More info here. It sounds like as they start to understand which sort of cell changes just need monitoring as they're likely to resolve and which are likely to progress, then some changes can be treated more conservatively than they used to be.

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cervical-cancer/abnormal-cervical-cells/treatment-for-abnormal-cervical-cells

"The treatment you need for abnormal cervical cell changes depends on whether you have low grade or high grade changes. Many women with low grade changes don't need treatment as the cell changes go back to normal on their own.
Your doctor or nurse might use the terms:

• cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)
• cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia (CGIN)

"

It’s your life, your body and your choice. Nobody likes going for smear tests. Personally I think 5 minutes of slight unpleasantness is worth it for something that could potentially save your life, but nobody is going to make you to do it!

The majority of cervical cancers are caused by HPV and have no genetic element, however HPV is very common so it's common for more than one member of a family to have cervical cancer or cell changes without it being genetically linked if that makes sense. Good luck with your test! If you are anxious you can always ask to have a longer appointment or even ask to be referred to a specialist clinic x

I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this has already been discussed, but it sounds like the NHS are going to roll out at home HPV testing for those to don't respond to the screening invitation this year. So that's good news.
https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/06/24/at-home-hpv-testing-cervical-screening-programme/

Personally I could never miss a smear test - my friend passed away from cervical cancer, she was only 35.

I think the point of her post is that she IS thinking of alternatives that don’t involve remaining unscreened but which make the test more accessible. That’s why she did the home HPV test and was wondering why it isn’t offered routinely. The test is difficult and inaccessible for many women. The OP has stated that she has autism and struggles for sensory reasons so would
prefer to be able to screen at home (for the HPV part of the screening at least).

Probably the most helpful post on this thread for the OP!!

Well, in NZ at least it's standard now, according to my GP, who when I asked about whether I should have the smear anyway, told me I didn't need it as all they do is test for HPV, so I may as well just do the self-swab in her office. To be fair, I've never had abnormal cells - maybe the recommendation might be different then.

Perhaps not standard in Australia!

Well, you often can’t know at the level of the individual, and that’s the issue. Though see @ContentedAlpaca’s post.

Fair enough! I'm very sorry for what your mum went through. That sounds horrendous, and does show how far modern medicine has come. I'm glad that you're alright too, after that scare.

I think when it comes down to an HPV swab versus an invasive cervical smear, there really isn't any point in the average low risk woman opting for the latter, so in OP's case, she's probably doing the right thing.

Of course, if you test positive for HPV or if you go to the GP for symptoms and require treatment, then invasive tests are better than death!! But if you're perfectly healthy and symptom free, in the case of cervical cancer screening you may as well avoid the indignity of a smear and just have the swab! Initially I was against the swabbing when it was introduced in NZ, but when my GP pointed out that they only test for HPV with smears anyway and not abnormal cells, I realised it didn't make any difference (although I was, and still am, annoyed that checking for abnormal cells isn't the norm now, so non-HPV cervical cancer goes undetected).

As far as I’m aware there are no diy treatment yourself for cancer kits on sale.

So I hope if the OP ever experiences symptoms of cancer then I hope the market has improved.

sometimes it’s best left to the professionals.

This is such a batshit take. So she should have an unnecessary procedure because she might need to have a necessary one at a later date? All the smear test is useful for now is to test for HPV. If you are negative for HPV there is no point in having one.

She's not seeking to treat herself for cancer she's seeking to test herself for HPV, which is available as a kit.

If the OP ever experiences symptoms of cervical cancer, she certainly shouldn't be trying to get a smear.

There are still so many comments on here missing the fact that the OP has tested herself more than once for the exact same thing that a smear test looks for: HPV.

As long as she continues to test herself every five years and goes to the GP for further investigation should a test be positive, she's doing everything that official cervical screening would do. If she tested positive for HPV and subsequently refused further investigation, that's a whole other kettle of (foolish) fish, but she hasn't said that she would.

Exactly my point though - we don't know at the level of the individual.

I have seen the info from @ContentedAlpaca but ,again, we're dealing in 'likely' to develop. When I was having treatment, my cancer was highly graded and staged. There were ladies there who weren't, who had low level cell changes that had been left for a short period and they developed further. Some of them are no longer here to give their opinion.

I really am all for bodily autonomy and if that's the position the OP has taken, then so be it, she's more than within her rights to do so and I don't think she should be vilified for it. I do, however, take issue with some of the tone of her views on the whole screening situation and those who do decide to act within that process in line with their own autonomy.

Maybe my views are coloured by my own experiences as it was so traumatic. It's not a risk I would be willing to take on something that can have such significant consequences if not addressed appropriately. I would take the speculum every day of the week over the memory of having surgeons having discussions between my legs while having a cone biopsy (under an epidural due to being pregnant in the hope that it may be enough to see out the pregnancy - it wasn't) or the scar I have from hip to hip. Along with having half a vaj left due to how much they removed and the impact on my sex life, give me the damn speculum!!