Cervical Screening

[Interestedinhealth]

Hi all,

I'd like to find out what makes you go for your cervical screening (smear test) and how you would encourage others to go?

I'd also like to know why you don't go and what would change that?

PistFump. ...totally your decision but if I were you I'd leave it a good few months until after the birth to have the test. ..it can take months for the cervix to settle down after birth and go too early you could get a false positives result and end up having unnecessary treatment. .

I've just got my letter to go again. Better safe than sorry.

I have recently had a total hysterectomy - I have gone regularly for screening and been treated previously for abnormal cells. I was having other problems too and had a high CA125 blood test...then my last screening also identified cancerous cells on my cervix - so the whole lot's gone - I still need screening though (it's called a vault sweep' when there isn't a cervix anymore!... HPV can cause vulval/vaginal cancer too). Smears are uncomfortable and in my case they were painful too (although nowhere near as painful as the uterus biopsy!) - I'm fit and well now though whereas I could be dying if it hadn't been picked up through screening. No, it won't identify all cancers and yes, your odds of getting cancer are low, but why on earth wouldn't you?

I've skipped smears due to being young, blasé, low risk etc. Knew I should really go but it's an inconvenience.
But then I saw an advert that hit home, something along the lines of a child losing its Mum because she didn't go for her smears. I have young children so I made the effort and went.

When is your essay due then...🙄

I have opted out by signing an opt-out form about 15 years ago. My last smear was brutally, and very painfully forced on me against my consent during the 1990's after DD was born. My subsequent complaint was dismissed as something women needed to accept. After further persistent bullying from GP, I found out about the opt-out letter and weighing up my low risk, decided to permanently opt out. I'm nearly 60 and have no regrets. It was the right choice for me and am delighted to be free of the bullying and annoying letters. I've also ditched the GP.

I haven't had a smear test and don't plan to. DH and I have only ever been sexually active with each other, so I am at negligible risk of having contracted HPV. I'm also concerned about the over treatment of low grade cell changes that in the vast majority of cases would be harmless. I really dislike being pressurised about it (every unrelated doctors appointment, midwife booking in visits, post partum 6 week checks, even during labour...).

I don’t have cervical screening. I wouldn’t dream of persuading other women to have the test. Every women has the right to choose whether or not to screen. I know that it is painful and bloody for many women. The hype of “it’s painless, takes five minutes and could save your life” is IMO bollocks.

I do not feel that the test saves as many lives as the NHS et al would have us believe. I also believe that there is a high chance of further investigations ie colposcopy and I would wish to avoid any LEEP procedure, because that is just brutal.

There is nothing that would persuade me to have the test.

Good luck with your article/essay.

Interestedinhealth, I think you are a researcher, working at a university. Why is there so much cash available for all these trials, when our NHS services are at breaking point, and people can't get timely care for operations and the like? I have elderly relations who struggle to get the nursing services they need, yet there seems no end of cash for boosting screening services. Is this so that when you've found a viable model, preventive healthcare can be handed over to the private sector as a going concern?

Interesting point Ada wells! The obsession with this rare cancer is very puzzling and the NHS spends around 178 million pounds a year on smear testing....not counting the cost of the repeated bombardment of "invitations "and reminders and phone calls the "defaulters" endure....

I used to attend smears although never felt comfortable with the "must" and "should" attitude and language used however I assumed it was in my best interests and went along with it.

Then I came across some research online which blew my mind. I did more research and was disgusted when I found out how unreliable the test is, the lifetime risk of CC which is incredibly low and the risk of harm from over treatment. At that point I opted out and I won't be opting back in.

If women choose to screen that's 100% their choice but I don't feel women are presented with all the facts to allow informed consent. This "you're due, get it done" attitude from the medical profession is outrageous and needs to change.

I have attended all my smear tests since I was 21, I think the age went up after I had my first one. I would always take up any type of screening offered as I want to reduce my risks of developing cancer where possible.

I’m in London

Why do people not attend? Maybe they think it will be embarrassing, may hurt, maybe don’t think they will be affected, maybe they feel they are too young/old to be affected.

Here's a few stats we're not told so we can't make a fully informed decision. Heart disease and stroke are the number 1 killer of UK women but we're not "invited "for any intervention or surveillance for this. There's around 30 million women in the UK of whom around 970 will fie each year of CC. Around 875 women die in falls each year yet we aren't "invited" to safety workshops or be warned to stay safe on stairs or be careful on concrete! Each year 200,000 smears come back abnormal. Obviously not all of these develop into CC but that's a lot of worried women who go on for colposcopy they would probably never have needed or biopsy and treatment they didn't need because it's not always clear what would harm so everyone is offered treatment. The treatment is promoted as low risk but actually there's harms involved in cutting bits out of the cervix or burning and laze ring parts of it.
As a non smoker you have 8% risk dying of lung cancer and the same for breast cancer. I have also opted out of breast screening and have never been asked why or pressured to have a mammogram. All my GP seems to care about is my cervix....

OP: any particular reason why you are asking?

I have a different cancer, and will take every screening test I can,

And yes, you will be called age 40+ for a health screening which covers risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

And once geriatric, being invited to attend falls clinics is extremely common (you can either be referred or self-refer round here) because most of those who die as a consequence of a fall are the elderly. My DMum was assessed that way, and received both OT and physio/exercise interventions as a result.