Reasons you're avoiding your smear test

[loulousilver1]

Hi all.

While I know I am asking for personal reasons as to why women are still missing/not booking/ avoiding their smear tests there is a reason. I am interested as I work as a social prescriber and would like to use my job role ways to speak to women about having this done.

I recently had a smear test after avoiding it for nearly 10 years, this has now resulted in me attending hospital appointments with the world and its wife looking at my fuff!

I thank you in advance for your responses.

I avoided mine for nearly a year. After eventually going to get it done I got a phone call few weeks later to go to the hospital to find out I need to have a scan which turned out I have stage 2 cervical cancer. Im going in next week for 6 hours of open surgery to find out more....

Dont put off your smear.

@SylviaHortensis Your alright I don't find that patronising. Yes I understand what they are looking for etc. Wouldn't want to put other people off. I was just answering the question asked. Why I don't go for cervical smears.

It is always the kind of thing I don't really discuss with people because it is a long thought out discussion for myself. Definitely think people shouldn't take these things lightly.

I will be going for my smear, as I believe the benefits out weigh the negatives but at my last smear I had an awful experience and that’s why I have been putting it off.

The nurse did my smear and after about 5 minutes said I was bleeding and she needed to get a gp. I was left naked from the waist down on the bed while the nurse was away for at least 10 minutes, she came back with two gps that wanted to look at my vagina. I was uncomfortable and anxious.
I was then told I likely had an STI and tests were carried out for this. I had been in a committed relationship for years so this rocked this.
I was given an follow up appointment to go to a hospital were I had an examination by a consultant. It lasted 30 seconds before I was told I was completely healthy and the bleeding was likely to do with the smear test technique of the nurse.
I also burst a tyre on the way to the hospital!

I know I am very lucky to be healthy and that is the most important thing, but the whole experience was horrific.

[quote Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum]@Trinacham One of my relatives had pancreatic cancer. You are right it is the worst. Low possibility of survival and one of the least funded for research. Sounds like your father did well. We were told the average after diagnosis is 10 months. So very sad [/quote]
he did catch it very early. His first symptom was itchiness. Something that seems so small, so I often tell people this, as it just goes to show that a very minor symptom needs investigating, as it could be a sign of something major.
He was very lucky as he saw 3 of his grandchildren be born, after diagnosis, and 2 of his children getting married (4 months prior to his death was mine). I still feel that he was so lucky to get the time he did.. which was around 5 years! My aunt wasn't so lucky, she was gone within months. Awful disease with very poor prognosis.

Fucking hell, some of the posts on here are shocking!

God help any of you posters who don't go if you ever end up with cervical cancer, and have to endure the tests and treatment which that entails!

I get why a virgin or someone in a long term relationship where each partner had never had sex with anyone else (as far as they know ) might choose not to be tested. For anyone else I'm shocked you would take such a chance with your health.

Within my close friends and family 6 of us (all under 40) have had to have further treatment due to abnormal cells. A friend is currently undergoing treatment for cervical cancer. She has had a hysterectomy and is waiting to start radiotherapy. She is under 30 and has 3 young children. Her last smear was fine. Now she is grade C3.

It's just too painful. The feedback I from the nurse each time is that I am doing it wrong.

I keep getting letters from NHS England reminding me it's been x years since I've had one and to book an appointment.

Thing is I had a hysterectomy in 2015 which involved removing my cervix along with my uterus, so I don't need one.

My GP practice is aware, but apparently NHS England is separate and it seems there is no way I can contact them to stop wasting time and money in sending me reminders for a procedure i don't need!

For the people who say they don’t have smears- have you filled in the smear disclaimer to decline all contact from the service or have you just ignored the letters? I work at a gp surgery and about 80% of our women have their smears done. Only a tiny % of the women who don’t have actually returned the form we send them if they don’t book a smear within 6 months of being due. Which leaves us uncertain- has this person forgotten/had trouble making an appointment/moved house versus they have made a decision that they don’t want one under any circumstance but haven’t filled in the form. The only way I know the answer to that is asking. Lots of patients, if I mention it in passing, are grateful for the prompt. I’m genuinely not trying to coerce someone who has thought about it and decided not to have it into having it done.

I totally agree it would be good if we can start offering the self HPV test and it is in trial roll out at the moment so may not be long.

If men were the ones having the procedure then it would have been researched and improved and made to be a much more comfortable experience than it is for many women.

My first smear was horrific. Second was a doddle. I'm due another soon... Not looking forward to it but I'll do it as I'll worry otherwise.

Well said @Grotbog - good luck with your surgery x

I agree @Bluewavescrashing.

Also with the language used. Can you imagine if it was a male nurse doing a similar procedure on a male person and they said 'come on now let's see your willy?'

Or 'come on now let me at your dangly bit'?

Just wouldn't happen!

I put off my latest one for ages having recently relocated and joined a new surgery, where my first appointment experience was with a horrible Nurse Practitioner who didn't deal with the problem I'd booked in for (an eye problem) but instead lectured me about my weight, made me undress to my underwear so she could weigh and humiliate me, and tell me I wouldn't lose weight by going to the gym 3 times a week.

I left the surgery in tears and it took a long time to pluck up the courage and confidence to return to the surgery in case all the GP's and nurses were the same as her.

When I did finally book in and attend for my smear, I was relieved that it was with a lovely nurse who didn't even mention my weight, and carried out the smear with no fuss at all.

I didnt know about the false positives? What is the % ?
I have had one done and am 50s!! After childbirth didnt really relish the thought of hard, cold metal objects being inserted. Surely they could invent something that is a bit less medieval looking . Also booking an appointment in advance on a 4 week booking slot that doesnt coincide with your period, factor in pre school children and no childcare, part time practice nurses, work etc.

I absolutely hate the feeling of the cotton swab being rubbed inside. Ridiculous reason, yes, bit I can not bring myself to do it.

Hate them, find them uncomfortable and painful. Get anxious and I can’t bring myself to call and book. Wish I could just book on the internet rather than having to speak rude receptionists. Constantly feel guilty and anxious that I haven’t had it as well. My practice is small and I know the nurses from taking my kids to her so would rather an unknown nurse doctor do it as well

I didnt know about the false positives? What is the % ?

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-i-m-saying-no-smear-7577967.html

A study from Bristol in 2003 found that 1,000 women have to be screened for 35 years to prevent one death from cervical cancer; and to prevent that death, 80 women have to have further investigation, with 50 women having treatment to their cervices. Four out of five women found at screening to have "high-grade" changes in their cervix did not go on to develop invasive cancer

Yes sorry flapjak I think it was me who said false positive and its probably not the correct terminology.

Its as PP explained above.

For me as I had/have HPV, its likely I will have these changes. If I am screened I am 100% going to be referred for further treatment continually. If I do not have treatment I have a 20% chance of developing cancer.

I just want to have my children first then they can laser to their hearts content.

@LemonSwan - to be fair, you won’t be continually referred for further treatment, far more likely just further smears. I had around 12 years of regular repeat smears but no treatment whatsoever, because my smears kept yoyoing between normal and mild dyskariosis. I didn’t receive any treatment until the result went from normal to severe dyskariosis in the space of a year. Since then, I’ve had over 10 years of normal smears. I think it is no coincidence whatsoever that the severe abnormality was immediately following two pregnancies fairly close together, as the hpv was taking advantage of a lowered immune system.

Walkaround
Thanks Walk - thats reassuring to know. Perhaps I should just crack on and get it done then.

Booked mine 🙌👍