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.

Arriving a bit late to this thread, but years ago, as a much younger woman, I also decided not to have smear tests.
The reasons are not relevant; my body, my choice. But I just wrote a nice letter to the GP practice and explained, and they accepted it. No doubt someone somewhere thought it was a poor decision, it's their choice to think that. No-one made me feel 'inferior' for my decision.

Some years later, I moved to another area of the country and (for different reasons) ended up having a full hysterectomy. My new practice began calling me up for smear tests when I no longer even had a cervix to examine! I went to see the practice and they were very nice about it. The practice manager explained they got funding for each smear test they performed (in those days it was £6 per test, she said) - she also said they were rated on the % of tests they performed. They were considered a 'better' practice if all their women were persuaded to have tests (ie. 100%) as opposed to, say, 70% or 98% compliance. In those days, their top up funding was based on how good a practice they were perceived to be.

This made a lot of sense at the time, as to why they were so persistent with wanting compliance in patients. I have no idea whether this system is still in place these days but I would suspect there are at least still some measuring of %age of patients taking up screenings offered.

See I have lymphoedema and nerve damage from removing sod of mine when I was getting a radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. It's affected my mobility greatly and I can no longer do stuff like I could before, even long walks cause me pain

The medical profession do gloss over a lot of these side effects. I don't know about breast cancer in particular but certain surveys show the majority of people have side effects from cervical cancer treatment even years later

OP you’re completely entitled to make this decision but as someone who had an elective c section too, diazepam and like @Thewonderfuleveryday i had general anesthetic for biopsy, colposcopy and letz procedure, I force myself to go to my smears. It takes me a while to psych myself up and I’m usually a few months later than the reminder letter but the nurses are wonderful about it.

I had one this morning and even diazepam didn’t help this time sadly but I insisted the nurse persevered even after the speculum snapped (I was so tense) because it just has to be done and I also want to set an example for my DD so she knows that when I have to, I will grit my teeth and face my fears for the sake of maybe keeping me on this planet for a bit longer.

Sorry, I really didn't word that very well at all.

I've seen women who once said the same as op and never had a smear. They've come into the clinic after being asymptomatic for many years and suddenly have irregular bleeding or pain after sex and they're in for biopsies that are very clearly cancerous on examination.

Thanks @Bushwoolie. That must be so terribly hard.

OP is screening for HPV at home which is a bit different though and hopefully this approach has much better outcomes.

This post nails it

She'd had high risk HPV for her last couple of smears, cell changes which required a leep procedure, and she was tested by the NHS when she went for her colposcopy. She tested prior to this for peace of mind really, as she'd had HPV for so long, and she couldn't seem to get rid of it. The private test came back negative, and she was overjoyed-only to get a positive result from the NHS test, which was performed within a very short time frame of the private one. No sexual contact between tests. The response from the company was very unprofessional as well, but that's another story.

Is this smears or swabs? Because smear tests should only be performed within a certain interval of eachother and also a certain period after the treatment. Private clinics seem happy to charge women for tests that aren't indicated to be accurate due to not waiting long enough after a treatment or another smear