If you get referred to hospital to have your smears (hard to reach cervix) can you ask for HPV vaccination?

[somethingnewandexciting]

I was just wondering if anyone has done this? I go up for my smears as I have a rear tilting cervix that is hard to reach. It's never pleasant and I was just wondering if at age 44 I can ask for the HPV vaccination to stop them having to do it? Is this a recognised way to save NHS £? I bet it costs them more to have me in just for a smear every 3 years...?

You aren’t in the cohort eligible for the vaccination so I doubt you could get it.

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hpv-vaccine/

You still need a smear even if you've had the vaccination because the vaccine doesn't protect against all types of HPV, and there's also the risk of cervical cancer which is potentially far more serious.

Ah OK - I thought you could ask for it over 40 but didn't realise you still need smears regardless. Thanks for the info!

No worries - I know it's not a fun time, I also have an annoying cervix, I can't have the coil which would have made my HRT journey a bit easier!

Imagine if we could have an injection and never have to go through a smear again! Thought I had hit the jackpot there! 😅

Oh hell yes! Last time I went through the joys of it, I asked the nurse if anyone had thought to invent an 'at home' kit, in the same way you can do cheek swabs at home. She said: "I think there is something like that under development actually, I am sure that there is something going through testing."

HURRAH!

"But it wouldn't be any good for you - not with your cervix!" 😶

As it stands the NHS don't screen for cancer cells with your sample. They just screen for high risk HPV.
There are swabs available privately where you can do this yourself. It has to be swabbed very high up though and still probably won't quite reach a tilted cervix. I believe the NHS trialled the self swabs and will roll them out but no idea whether they will allow that for 'hard to reach' people.
I have done swabs privately (Superdrug) and accepted the risk of not quite reaching, but I'm very low risk anyway.

Yes, the at home kits would have been wonderful but alas, I've spent far too much time with multiple people trying to give me a sweep (6 before they agreed I needed the consultant!), let alone having to do variations of a hip lifts and almost head stands when doing smears to know I wouldn't have a hope in hell!