Smear test and period

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

I’m booked in for a smear next Friday, and have just realised there’s a good chance my period will have started. Getting an appointment that fits in with work (teaching) has been a total pain in the arse, and I am seeing contradictory information online - does anyone know if I need to reschedule? I don’t want to hang fire and see, then have to cancel at short notice. Equally, this was the earliest suitable appointment I could get, when I phoned after I got the letter a month ago, so I would rather get the bloody (ha) thing over with if I can.

Your nurse won’t do a smear test while you’re bleeding so it would be a waste of time.

Thanks for that, grumpy. I read that blood can distort the results, so that makes sense. I think I will see where I am on Thursday, then make a decision. It would be so annoying to have arranged time off work and then have to cancel!

Even small amounts of blood interefere with results i was told. Can you not book for the school hols? when its full of all your school kids

Yes, I can, but that’s going to be Christmas. If it’s every three years I don’t suppose being three months late will make much odds?

Ring up and check. I had continuous bleeding and they asked me to come in so the nurse could try . They did manage to do It and my results could be read.

Worth checking if there any Saturday clinics happening. They managed to book mine mud cycle for a Saturday but I had to ask and also travel To a different gp.

My GP’s ask you to book mid cycle.. always fun telling the grumpy receptionist when your period is next due 😂

Any chance it would work out in the Christmas holidays for you?

Thanks for all the replies. I am such a twit. It was a real pain to find an appointment when I could go before work on a day I don’t have a class at 9, so I just took the first one that was available - which was still a month from when I called in. I didn’t think about my period at all.

I don’t think any surgeries here do a Saturday, so I will need to look at my cycle dates and see if I can organise something for the Christmas holidays. (Lovely present!)

My period was due around the time of my smear. It started 2 days later. My smear came back fine. I'd maybe wait and then cancel if your period arrives

I had my smear on day 2 of my period. The doctor was happy to do as bleeding was only very light (more like spotting).
I think it comes down to the individual doing the test. Ring and check.

I had this , I had no idea mine had started and I had to go back after getting kit off and legs akimbo .. I need to sort a new coil but that's a pain too! 🙄

I’m going to wait until Thursday and call it then. The appointment is 8.15 on Friday so I need to cancel on Thursday if I am not going to make it, but hopefully my period will hold off!

You could buy Norethisterone from a pharmacy (lots sell it over the counter now) and start taking it today, if you want to be sure you won’t be on your period on Thursday.

Superdrug sells Norethisterone without a prescription.