Cervical Screening - the Smear Test - what info helps you decide to go for screening?

[BellaNoir]

I'm interested because I work in the screening programme and a lot of work is going on at the moment looking at why women don't attend,
what I'm interested to know is where did you get info from that helped you decide to attend and was it the official leaflets/website etc?

NB: this is NOT an official NHS request!
I am interested from my own POV as I am involved with improvement projects and want to help our service.

For example:
Did you know that from April 2010 all screening labs and PCTs will have a new target to getting test result to you by 14 days of the sample being taken?

Why are you retreating?

Um, I've always been, because I know it substantially decreases the risk of being diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Obvious, but true.

I think one thing that helped me years back was being told that most cervical cancers, if caught on a smear test, could be treated easily and successfully - made it less scary to be tested, iyswim.

These days, knowing my nurse practitioner can do them (not GP) helps, too.

Figure of speech
Curiosity killed the cat etc!

I always go because of history of cancer and abnormal cells in my family - i'm on 6 mthly at the moment, due to abnormal cells.

i have no info, i get e letter from doctors telling me its time to attend again.

other wise than that i have nothing and i have not seen anything either

i can tell you that flexible appt times for working women would be good

also childcare - who looks after your kids if your a single parent of three whilst you have your legs akimbo - i mean its not feasible to leave them running round the waiting room is it?

oh, forgot - so the reason i go is becuase i dont want to die

The thing that would most motivate me to go would be being able to make appointments at a time that didn't involve having to take time off work, and (conversely when on ML) having someone to look after the DCs. Information doesn't really come into it.

The cervical screening programme has an official website

Also an official screening leaflet is meant to be sent out with each invitation to screening.

Got to sort out dinner...back later...

Thanks for the info!

i haven't been for years because i really really don't want any stranger going that close to my private bits.
irrational, ignorant, stupid i know. but there youare.

have booked one for next week because my best mate is hassling me.
also jade goodey has the same sort of dog as me.

Hi BN.

I only went for my first smear at 29 last week. Stupid I know but decided not to bury my head in the sand anymore. I definately didn't get any of the info from anywhere official, think I watched an article on tv (shamefully think it was This Morning) about abnormal cells on a smear and how women who go for smear tests don't usually develop cancer as it is caught in the early stage.

I went when I got the letters because I knew you could get cervical cancer.

I still got cervical cancer but I am alive and if I hadn't had the smear I would probably be dead.

I think I used to read the pamphlets in the family planning clinic but that was mainly because there was always such a long wait.

i have absorbed, probably by osmosis, that smears are a Really Good Idea, as they can pretty much detect a killer disease in such early stages that your succesful treatment can be almost guaranteed.

I must add that it is rare to get cancer if you have all your smears, I was just unlucky. Or lucky, however you want to look at it.