smear at 25yo

[25goingon95]

My friends and people my age that i know have all had letters around the time they turned 25 asking them to make an appointment to have a smear.

I didn't get one. Would this be because i have had 2 already? I had a fair bit of spotting all the way through pregnancy with DD1 so had one after i had her. Then i started spotting randomly 3 years later so had another smear. It has been about 2 and a half years since the last one so is this why they didn't send for me?

Do they do them every 3 years or 5 in the UK? I never had one after i gave birth to DD2 14 months ago.

My other 2 were normal. What should i do?! Should i just wait and see if they call me...

when then changed the age limit to 25 years, anyone under the age of 25 just fell into the routine follow up, therefore i think you probably will do too. that fact they were normal should give you some reassurance but i always think if you are concerned ring yor family planning clinic, it will save a GP visit and they are very good.

Wow - 25 is late isn't it!? What was the previous age limit?

SAme Strawberries. In Aus the advice is that you should start having smears as soon as you are sexually active.

I think its a cost thing in this country They think it is unnecessary before 25/waste of money or something

Most of the people i know age 25 have been sexually active since 16/17 and only just having a smear now...

I think i will wait a few months and call them if i haven't heard by then.

Thanks! :)

It isn't just cost, there is a very high rate of false positives below 25 and there is some debate whether the unnecessary stress/treatments for a large number of under 25s outweighs the tiny risk of something really bad (especially as many minor symptoms lead to smears anyway, so you catch most of the at risk group). I say this as someone is Scotland who had to get the first a year after becoming sexually active, so not being sold propaganda or anything.

If you had one 2.5 years ago, you won't be called until the three year mark, I don't think, I wouldn't worry. You aren't suddenly at risk because you turned 25, the previous smear at 23 still counts.

RunnerHasbeen is correct. You will be sent an invite letter about 8 weeks before the 3 year 'anniversary' of your last test.
Info about screening ages on the NHS CSP website

Fab thanks for that, will wait and see then :)

I'm 31 now and when I first became sexually active at 17 I was sent for a smear test. This was in scotland. 25 does seem awfully late especially as isn't cervical cancer really common in the under 30s?

No, cervical cancer is not common in the under 30s. The link to the NHS CSP website should give a further link to the minutes of the select committee where the evidence for what age to start screening was discussed.
From my experience of working in screening and auditing cancers as part of my job, the peak ages are generally mid-late 30s, late 50s and over 70 year olds.

They used to start at 20 which seems more logical. But back then I was at Uni when i turned 20 and ws registered with the Uni GP clinic. Load of rubbish as they never invited me for one.

As soon as I left Uni and re registered with a non-uni GP service they asked me if I'd ever had a smear in my registration appt and made me make an appointment for one when I hadn't. I was 22 when i had my first.