The new smear tests

[NicoleWatterson]

So I duly went for my smear this morning. I do firmly believe in their importance, so despite them being unpleasant I've always gone.

I was encouraged by seeing the new implement on this morning, a little soft brush that takes the cells. Is that what they used on me, is it fuck it's a point jabby thing with a cutting device that cuts a circle out your cervix.
It was bloody awful! What happened to the soft tickly brush?!?

There's a high chance I'm going to get a recall as I had to ask her to stop. Is there a way I can ask for the old one? Or even that lovely brush I saw on this morning.

Oh god you poor thing. I hated the old ones then they changed the clamps and it was a little less uncomfortable and now I'm scared.... Do you reckon it would hurt less if I took painkillers before going in?

They don't cut you during a smear ?

I thought OP meant that's what it felt like, being jabbed sharply?

I think a lot also depends on the person carrying out the procedure. One nurse was very good the new one is so rough and never appears able to find my cervix. (Feel nauseous thinking about it)

I saw the brush on This Morning and decided to go for my (long overdue ) smear. She used the bastarding pointy thing on me! I even felt sore afterwards.

It came back normal and it was over within seconds but it was not nice!

I think I had the same jabby thing the last time too which was why I had put it off.

It scrapes your cervix it doesn't cut it. It's not nice i know but the following doesn't happen :

Is that what they used on me, is it fuck it's a point jabby thing with a cutting device that cuts a circle out your cervix

Way to go OP- how many people are you potentially putting off from going for their smear. Many are already scared - this will make it worse .

Had mine recently - yes it is uncomfortable but at no point does anyone jab anything and cut anything off!!

For contrary experience, I went to the sexual health clinic for my last smear and a coil - it was totally painless!

Ask for the most experienced nurse and tell them your previous smear hurt, and hopefully the next one will be near-painless for you.

I am at the cutting a circle from your cervix. That does not happen.

I agree that a lot of it is to do with who is doing the smear.

Hope anyone nervous isn't put off by this thread.

the nurse told me it cuts out a small circle. I didn't misunderstand, that's definitely what she said. I know the old ones scraped but she said that's not what this one did.
I'm not trying to put anyone off (genuinely it's the last thing I want to do, they are important as I said)
Just establish if
A) anyone has had that lovely soft brush
B) if i can ask for an old one

Was it the brush you had when it was ok?

This is what I don't understand the last one was uncomfortable when they scratched, but painless and bearable.

I've reported my thread to try and get it deleted so I don't put anyone else off!

Even the NHS website talks about this bloody brush!!! So it doesn't sound like the thing they used is normal practise or being phased out???? Or id just really pissed the nurse off.

I'm off for a little sob, some paracetamol and a cuppa!

Why don't you get this one deleted, then start a new one asking about the brushes etc, but not mentioning anything too painful or alarming?

Hold on. People want to mute negative experiences? That is not fair and doesn't allow women to make an informed decision? We're not in China!

People just want other people to go for smear tests I think.

I should add I had mine a week ago and all was fine (soft brush rather than old metal contraption).

Well, yes, but that decision is not for 'other people' to make. It's the individual themselves, and if we do not give them true feedback/experiences we are denying them an informed decision.

I just want to add that although I did find it a bit sore, it was over quickly and I'd much rather go through that than cancer. I'd urge anyone to have it done as it's better to do so and it doesn't hurt for everybody.

There was a thread a while ago where people mentioned negative experiences and no one moaned on that thread!

Before I went for my first smear it wasn't the thought of pain that bothered me. It was the taking my pants of for the nurse that put me off!

I think that next time I'll just mention that it hurt and hopefully they'll be more gentle.

Well I think it's best to gain medical advice in RL about medical stuff john. I wouldn't make an informed decision by reading random accounts by strangers on the internet.

Woah - seriously? Why shouldn't women be allowed to talk about painful or invasive medical procedures? Because someone else might be put off? No fuck that, sorry, that's an absolutely outrageous suggestion. If you're going to say that we may as well do away with the childbirth board, god forbid people discuss their traumatic childbirth experiences, might put other women off reproducing.

I hate smear tests with a passion, anything touching my cervix makes me cringe and feel sick. I still go for them because I'm a grown woman and I understand their importance. (And I speak as the idiot who watched a youtube video of a coil insertion the night before her appointment to have a coil inserted... And yeah I realise now a coil wasn't a great choice for someone who's squeamish about her cervix). Anyway point being, if you're thinking about skipping a smear test based on one person's message on the internet, you probably have bigger problems tbh.

Thanks for posting this OP. Next time I'm due for a smear test I can be sure to check what they plan on using first, because I absolutely will not be consenting to have bits chopped out of my cervix, no matter how small or "painless" it's supposed to be.

The NHS describe it as painless. Clearly that is a myth as it does not apply to everyone (for me it was mildly yncomfortable). Nothing like first hand accounts from people, even anonymously, especially on a topic still taboo for a lot of people. I mean, I share an office with three other ladies and we talk relatively freely, but ther ARE limits. I don't even discuss this sort of stuff with my closest friends.

So yeah, an informed decision is a combination of medical info, teamed with real experiences. MN is quite a good source for things like that, TBH.

Deleting a thread because it describes a negative experience is ludicrous.