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Original poster

Smears & baths

29 replies

bicback · 04/07/2018 15:31

dh & i are arguing about the above. my understanding is that you are not supposed to have a bath before a smear, certainly not a 'fingers inside cleaning your cervix' type of bath. i have stupidly just had a smear having forgotten that i not only had a bath an hour or so prior to the appointment but whilst in the bath i was trying to find a lump i thought i had found the night before due to a scary moment earlier that day'. i think the smear is void and i have to have another

OP posts:

CrispbuttyNo1 · 04/07/2018 15:34

You really should be doing any type of cleaning inside that area!

BasicUsername · 04/07/2018 15:44

I have honestly never heard of anyone cleaning their cervix. How bizarre.

Kidssendingmenuts · 04/07/2018 15:44

I doubt very much your finger will get as far as the swan will anyway that's why they have to insert the instrument to get right upto the cervix. It won't be void

Kidssendingmenuts · 04/07/2018 15:44

Swab!! Not Swan

PepperAndPops · 04/07/2018 15:47

People clean their cervix in the bath?!

Toofle · 04/07/2018 15:49

Doesn't everyone take theirs out and polish it?

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 15:51

i wasn't actually cleaning it deliberately, i was checking for a lump as dh & i had had sex earlier and i was in pain (bleeding & discharge...)

OP posts:

EspressoButler · 04/07/2018 15:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pambeasley · 04/07/2018 15:53

I think the smear will be fine op. They're swabbing cells and no where near where your fingers would reach.

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 16:02

thanks for the sarcastic bitchy responses from a few, just what i fucking needed. feels like i am on the aibu board ffs. and to repeat, i wasn't scrubbing it or even deliberatly washing it, i was in the bath and allowed the water in (doesn't usually go in if legs are closed) and was prodding around checking myself because i was scared due to me having thought i had found a lump the night before because i was bleediing and in a fair bit of pain. delighted that i am entertaining some of you ffs cheers

OP posts:

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 16:03

thanks pam for your response

OP posts:

moronseverywhere · 04/07/2018 16:04

*Doesn't everyone take theirs out and polish it?
*

I just chocked on my pasta

moronseverywhere · 04/07/2018 16:05

choked

Candyflip · 04/07/2018 16:05

If you were going for a smear that day anyway, why not get them to check the lump instead of trying to in the bath?

Astrid2 · 04/07/2018 16:10

It's fine. If you couldn't have a bath before then they would put it on the leaflet. Doesn't say that anywhere.

I'm sure water will seep in there whether you have you legs closed or not btw. Not that it matters...

CrispbuttyNo1 · 04/07/2018 16:10

“not a 'fingers inside cleaning your cervix' type of bath.”

In fairness, you imply here that this is normal practice ..

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 16:10

i wasn't going for a smear, i had a gp appointment to have the lump checked. out of the blue she offered me a smear and i forgot i had had an overly thorough bath an hour earlier otherwise i would have declined and gone back another time. i get flustered at gp's so wasn't thinking straight

OP posts:

laundrydayagain · 04/07/2018 16:12

OP I worry about this sort of thing too, once an idea is in my head then I overthink things. I'd ring the doctors and ask to speak to the nurse on the phone. If it were me it'd be the only thing to settle my mind. My surgery wouldn't have a problem with taking my details and the nurse would call me when she has a second free. If it helps at all I've never heard the advice to not bath before a smear test.

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 16:13

cheers astrid2

OP posts:

blibblibs · 04/07/2018 16:20

You'll be fine OP. Having a bath before a smear isn't going to do anything to your cervix. I'm sure the practice nurse would prefer if everyone had a bath before they went for one.
Having a poke around or sex beforehand won't do anything either. Most that'll happen is there may be sperm on the slide if that's how your local laboratory processes them.
You don't have anything to worry about.

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 16:21

thanks for response laundry. i can't call, too embarrassed as it wasn't a 'normal' bath, noway am i going to explain how i was 'looking for the lump' i had found the night before thus water had got in and overly cleaned the area. sounds ridiculous. I was looking to see if the lump was as bad as i had throught the night before when making my decision if i should go and see the gp......despite some posters saying they think it won't matter, like you i know i will worry and will probably end up paying for a second test (although the first may come back positive in which case i won't need to...

OP posts:

Original poster

bicback · 04/07/2018 16:27

blib thank you

OP posts:

Astrid2 · 04/07/2018 16:33

You are way over thinking this. You absolutely don't need to see the GP because you had a bath before a smear. I can't get my head around what you mean about water going in and it being overly clean??

If you had any concerning cells on your cervix, they couldn't be 'washed away' with bath water and a finger. That's why they have to burn them off with a laser under an anaesthetic!! Try and relax.

strawberryalarmclock · 04/07/2018 16:34

swan - that is an epic typo
Can you imagine them scraping your cervix with that?!!!

ShellsBells76 · 04/07/2018 16:37

I have no recollection of seeing a vagina bottle brush next to the nail brushes.

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