Are smear tests genuinely meant to be just uncomfortable or are they painful?

[Badum]

I've only had 2 in my life and both were outright painful. Not shout out loud pain but past what I would describe as discomfort.

I keep seeing posts about people not finding them painful, some talking about discomfort etc. Is that genuinely how they feel for others or are they just being stoic?

I generally consider myself to have a good pain tolerance but am worried about the ivf process if Im finding something that's not meant to be painful painful. Its made me wonder if I have a tilted uterus or endo issues that actually i should be thinking about rather than just thinking it's normal

I don’t find them painful and I’ve had a lot of them due to previous abnormal results. I do have a tilted uterus (I don’t think that makes any difference).

I had one that was broadly fine and another that was so painful I won't be having another one, especially given the nurse didn't stop when I asked her to.

Didn’t hurt at all but that brush thing really really tickled to the point of discomfort. I hate being tickled in general so that made it worse, but it wasn’t painful.

I’ve never had one. Attempted one once and it was so painful I left. I find all the nurses and docs saying that they are just uncomfortable really minimising and shows that they don’t seem to take it seriously and that has put me off trying again. I’m currently pregnant and had to see a consultant about something unrelated an he told me once baby comes if I go to them to have it done I can have it administered with gas and air.

I feel so relieved that someone finally seems to get it, but annoyed that this is an option and no other health professional has ever mentioned it.

I have had lots and twice they were excruciating. Years ago I was 25 and had just become sexually activate (unmarried) and the nurse clearly had issues. She was aggressive and rude and pointed out I wasn’t married.

She told me my cervix ‘looked odd’ and ‘wasn’t right’ and the scrapped it so hard I screamed - I go up and felt dizzy and someone from reception I think came running in and I was clutching my genitals and saying I didn’t feel good. I went immediately in to see a female doctor and by now my white pants were bright red with blood, I felt dizzy and sick and I was in pain. I was given antibiotics, painkillers and my boyfriend came to get me.

Nurse was dismissed from the surgery I had to write a statement.

I wasn’t the first girl or women to have experienced it apparently.

When I went back for my next one, I had a
mild sedative and painkillers before and they booked a long appointment.

It’s on my records now along with a sexual assault and I’m lucky the nurses at my GP surgery are kind they take their time (I think the NHS only allow a certain time to do it and don’t take into account some women may need longer) warm things up and relax me and stop if needed.

For intimate exams there needs to be communicate and trust so I would mention it to the GP and before your next one and see what can be done to help you.

Discomfort for a few minutes how i see it.
I dont like it but for the sake of making sure all is good every few year, i will keep up with them.

Mine weren't painful until I hit the menopause and then they very much were. (I too have a tilted cervix.)

I think there are different sizes of speculum. If you've experienced discomfort in the past it might be worth asking if they can change to a smaller one.

Very very painful for me - even more so before kids

I’m a practice nurse & am often complimented on how pain free my smears are. Sure there are tricky ones but most are ok.

I’ve had three. None were painful but they make me flinch with discomfort. An unpleasant feeling that I want to stop.

I find it painful but I do have a retroverted uterus. The only bit of ivf I recall having pain was egg collection but I think you can ask for a stronger sedation.

Mine have always been uncomfortable but my penultimate one was really painful. Think I have a tilted cervix too. At one point the nurse asked me to cough - apparently this would help bring it into position?! It hurt so much I couldn’t even cough.

Not sure if that was down to the nurse. But it did mean I was really anxious about my next one and it has really influenced me not wanting a coil fitted etc. Luckily, my next one was ok. But I still get very anxious now after that experience.

Same for me, and yes, it’s usually ok. The last one was more unpleasant - new nurse, presumably less experienced. She seemed to take ages taking the sample.

The more recent few I’ve had, since having children, have been mildly uncomfortable at worst.

I think before children I did find them a bit painful.

I had general anaesthetic - no way was I doing that under sedation. I was warned by someone who worked in a unit that most women found it very unpleasant.

As women, we are just expected to put up with any sort of procedure that can cause pain.

Men get a vasectomy... get pain meds. Women have to have a chunk of cervix taken out for a biopsy. Take paracetamol beforehand.

Uncomfortable for me.
Don't worry re IVF - egg retrieval was the only painful (excrutiating actually on one side, first time round) but that was without sedation or anaesthetic.2nd time was OK.
I know lots of clinics do sedate or use anaesthetic now.

I find them very painful - so painful that I fainted after my second one, and on my fourth one the nurse had to stop. I have a titled cervix and also find sex painful.

It really angers me when people say that it is not painful as a way to encourage women to go - I am glad that is their experience, but they have no right to negate other women's experiences.

Yes for me. I have endometriosis so assume I have scarring which makes it painful. Peri made it much worse.

Id rather have a mammogram every day than another smear.

It really pisses me off that there’s no choice for pain relief for this and that women are just expected to put up with it.

You probably have an retroverted cervix. Next time tell the clinician that you do (even if you’re not sure) and put your hands balled into fists under your bum cheeks to lift yourself off the bed. It will make it much more comfortable. I’m lucky a nurse explained this to me while I was still in my twenties after I told her about my previous horrific experience (very painful)

Yes... "it was fine for me.. you are just being a coward" etc.
Threads about smears tend to go down a sad path where women are having a go at other women.

I’ve never experienced pain - I tend to go mid cycle when the cervix is super soft, just before ovulation

Absolutely @Daschy16 I hate the minimising attitude. It’s NOT a simple experience for MANY women

I bleed badly and it’s slightly more than uncomfortable. My uterus is tilted and I have cervical erosion. It’s got more painful as I’ve got older.
Last time it took 2 people to do it as my cervix was ‘round a bend’. Whatever that meant.
I bleed for a good 24 hours afterwards.