They will let me have the coil, but not a smear?

[CrayolaCocaColaRocknRolla]

I am 18 so I am perfectly capable of being able to make decisions. I have been sexually active for 4 years. By 25, thats a long time and I could have gotten anything and no one would know, might even be dead by then.
They have offered me the coil which I am willing to do even though its scary but I don't want anything else.
I'm worrying because if they refuse me, it just might be too late, are they allowed to refuse? I get terrible anxiety and they won't even do anything about that let alone a smear. I've just had a bad experience with doctors, they're all crap and don't want to help you ime.

If you have got worrying symptoms that might suggest cervical cancer then push for a smear. There have been a few stories recently where symptomatic young women were denied smears and it turned out to be cervical cancer.
However if you have no worrying symptoms then you will not get a smear. GP's are now only commissioned to do routine smears for women aged 25 or over. There is no money in them doing it for younger women and at the moment the evidence suggests that under 25's are a very low risk group - hence raising the age. Basically, to put it bluntly, there is nothing in it for your GP to give you a routine smear at 18. They get targeted and paid to do them on over 25's only.

The screening age will not be lowered for younger women because of the risk of false positive results, among other things. However as you have been sexually active since childhood you can ask your GP for an 'exceptional circumstances' smear if you are suffering symptoms (eg abdominal pain, cervical/vaginal symptoms) which the GP will consider based on symptoms and sexual history (not in detail: just the fact you started young).

Push for it if you have symptoms!

Why are they suggesting a coil?

"If you have got worrying symptoms that might suggest cervical cancer then push for a smear. "

No, no, no!

If you have worrying symptoms, you need to have a proper assessment and examination, which may include a colposcopy.

A smear is a screening test for ASYMPTOMATIC women.

Screening under 25s is probably related to a much higher risk of false positives which can cause both physical (in terms of overtreatment) and psychological harm.

I apologise dino i thought it was smears you had to have but that's probably down the way the papers sensationalise report those cases.

Btw OP you can still get screening for STD's done at any age if you worried you may have caught something else.

If it's for contraceptive, why not use something else?

As PPs have said, it's the false positives that are an issue.

I have been told by a nurse that even if a doctor/nurse does do one that it will be thrown away if they see you are under 25 unless you were pre called.

I had to have one every three months, reducing to six and now back to the normal rate. When telling nurses etc I was due, I was often told I wouldn't be and must produce the green letter if i was telling the truth.

I actually once had the UNi nurse tell me 'that wouldn't have been a smear test, it would have been a test for chlamydia which is very likely. You should also get tested for HIV because that's very likely too'. She hadn't asked me my sexual history at all so had no idea if I'd been sleeping around. Apparently, she was reknowned for asking people how many people they'd slept with since last time she saw them.

Talk to your doctor if you have any issues and be forceful

If you are 18 didn't you have the hpv vaccine? My 18 year old dd1 did. Are you having symptoms or anxieties?

Did you have hpv vaccine? I'm two years older than you and I had it. I was called for a smear after having DD and there was confusion about whether they'll test under 25s who've had babies, that one seems to be a postcode lottery.

In our area the Pathology lab won't test a snear outside of NHS guidelines without a valid reason attached. If you attend more than 6m before your recall date the sample won't be tested.

You could go to your local sexual health clinic. If you are worried about any infections they provide anonymous testings as well as smears, so if you really want one that may be an option.

The hope is that eventually, those immunised for HPV with have a swab only and if HPV detected then a smear, or smears every 10 years - something along those lines.

You shouldn't need to ask for a smear test at any stage unless you have been sexually active for a couple of years. Having worrying symptoms as a previous poster suggested is an entirely different matter and in that case cervical screening would be inappropriate just as if I had a patient who presented with rectal bleeding at work, sending them a bowel screening DIY kit would be inappropriate, doing a faecal occult blood test and having the doctor give them a full examination would be the right answer.

If you have worrying symptoms such as persistent bleeding after sex, etc, then do contact your GP or family planning centre and ask for an examination as needed - don't ask for a screening test.

If on the other hand, you want a screening test because you have been having sex for a while then it's worth asking the GP why this would/wouldnt be worth doing at 18.

Thank you, everyone. They suggested the coil because hormonal contraception is giving me depression, headaches etc etc. I was just worrying I suppose, I get very down with my moods on the pill and it makes me worry about things like this. Also I did have the HPV vaccine. No symptoms just anxieties. Wth me it's just, "what if?" I just worry about things like this. I do need to go to my GP very soon, probably this week, so I will ask them then
thank you