smear tests

[Tusky]

I'm being totally pathetic,but I'm really dreading having a smear test,despite having had several and a baby! I'm not frightened of what they might find,just the mechanics of the actual test - is anyone else as bad as me ? When my son was born I had the works- episiotomy,ventouse and forceps,so I shouldn't fear a teeny speculum ! My doctor is really nice and understanding (I've had v unsympathetic ones in the past- maybe that's a reason why I'm scared). I've written suitable dates to go in my diary,but wimped out,telling myself I need more time to psych myself up.

No you're not the only one who puts it off. Here's a little story I was told and I always think about it when I have to go and somehow it makes the ordeal a bit lighter. A woman is waiting to go in for her smear test and suddenly she decideds she needs the loo first. Off she goes,does a pee , can't find any loo roll so she digs in her handbag and finds a tissue and uses that. She's all stripped off and waiting ,the doctor comes in and is about to start when he looks puzzled and then passes her the first class stamp which she has stuck to her virgina. That always makes me smile. I think that sometimes after all the prodding and poking of pregnancy and childbirth you just scrape some dignity back together and then the dreaded smear test is due. Don't think too much about it and Monday morning pick up the phone and make an appointment! I'll be checking to make sure you have.

I dont like them either but I try to just close my eyes and think of something else. Its funny, what we go through when we have a baby seems ok somehow, probably because it is all part of having a baby. smears are something different altogether.

I just, and I mean only just, managed to go myself after my 6 week post-natal check up results came back saying there wasn't sufficient cells to test. Er, my little girl's now 18 months old so what does that tell you?! I will reassure you that it was over in a flash and didn't feel a thing as you know already. I'm just feeling smug that I don't have to go again for ages!!

I used to hate them, because they hurt. But I consciously relax, using breathing and relaxation exercises I learnt in a/n classes, and I can honestly say there is a second's mild discomfort and that's it : )

I am the same with smear tests, it didn't bother me so much when I was younger, which is weird. I think having a few unsympathetic and matronly nurses have caused this hatred for them. I had a bad smear test 8 years ago and had to go for out-patient treatment. I was supposed to go back every year for 5 years but only managed 2 years, but when I had my son my doctor said I had to have a smear after the birth as I had left it so long. When I went (after some coaxing from my partner), I explained to the nurse about my fear of smears and told her about my bad experiences. Well she was so lovely and very understanding and made me feel a lot better about it. Did you know that they have different sizes of speculums and you can ask for the smallest one (sometimes they have to use a larger one) also you can ask for a plastic one instead of the metal. Hope this helps Tusky - Please do go as it's only a few minutes of discomfort and it could save your life.

It's so heartening to read this thread. I have always hated smear tests. They make me feel really queasy, I can't stand it when the speculum opens up and you can feel everything stretching and then the worst of it is when you feel the scraping. Ughh. Makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Sorry Tusky - this is probably not helping much is it!

Tusky, you really aren't alone. I still hate them, even though I know that before, during and after my c-section I had all sorts of undignified things done to what Alan Partridge calls our "woman's area". Just think of the benefits and definitely get someone like Bron to take you out for a bun and a coffee afterwards. We did something a bit similar with my postnatal group as we were all dreading the smears - went along and kept each other company.
I hope you get a nice doctor, mine was a cheeky chit fresh from medical school whose pelvic floor was no doubt just like an olympic trampoline.
Ho ho Binza, that did make me smile!

My worst experience of a smear was when I saw my GP for an antenatal check up when I was 16 weeks pregnant with my first baby. She promptly declared that as my test was due now, she would have to do it straight away. I find them awful at the best of times but found it deeply upsetting to have her scraping about in there when I was pregnant.

When I was pregnant my doctor said they wouldn't do smear tests until after the birth. I'm surprised that you were put through this and I'd advise anyone who is pregnant not to have one unless there is some urgent medical reason. I feel there is always the threat of miscarriage with any internal medical procedure.
I had my 3-yearly smear test a month ago only to be told that it arrived at hospital to be tested already "opened" and was untestable as it had "air-dried". Don't make me feel sick! So, how lovely, I have to have a repeat later this week. Not looking forward to it.

Interesting to hear that Cam. My advice to anybody else would be to definitely refuse as I really was extremely upset by the whole thing - especially as there was a bit of bleeding subsequently. I guess I am just of the "Doctor knows best" mindset and don't really like to question them.

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thanks everyone for all that advice- it has helped- even Debster ! last time my doctor used the tiniest speculum and said he hadn't opened it up fully (the test was fine - enough cells to look at)- it still nearly sent me up the wall.
It doesn't seem to matter if it's a man or woman doing the test,though I have to say that the female doctors have tended to be a bit brisk and impatient.Good luck with yours Cam ! and I will book mine SOON

When I went for my first test, I was told I didn't need it as I was a virgin and the cells wouldn't show properly. I went to 2 clinics and asked about it to make sure. But when I first got the letter I went to a nurse different to my usual and she reassured me. But when I went to see my usual nurse (tears in my eyes, white as a sheet) she told me I was being stupid and she made me feel bad for being a virgin. She was really accusatry (spelling?) and wanted to know if I'd slept with anyone. And then she was really nasty when I got more and more upset. She started shouting saying "are you actually going to look at me, or just sit there?". And she kept saying "when you've got a boyfriend" blah blah blah. She had no right assuming that. I might not have been interested in men for all she knew.

When I went back she was horrible because she knew that obviously I'd had sex by now and she wanted to know what the situation was. She kept assuming I had regular boyfriend (I didn't. I only slept with the guy in question because he said he cared about me, corny as it sounds) and when I told her he wasn't my boyfriend, she looked at me liked I'd committed murder. I have since refused to see this particular nurse. She shouldn't be in that job!

It's frightening enough even when you are used to it. Despite what they tell you, it does hurt!

Jbr, that is terrible... why do some doctors and nurses assume they can have an opinion about ones circumstances? It reminds me of my first pregnancy (@ 20) and almost everyone I came across in the medical profession (and many others not in the medical profession) felt they had the right to ask me if I'd been on the pill!!!!!!??? Yes, I was young... but it really was none of their business and I did feel very judged! One midwife went as far as to always call me 'Mrs'...!

Jbr, one wonders what this nurses attitude to a lesbian in her 40's who has never had sex with a man would be. Surely not to give smear tests on such grounds is positively dangerous? Is she therefore saying that the only people who get cervical cancer are heterosexuals who have had penetrative sex?

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Winnie, it was pretty awful. She was so bad tempered. I was really frightened, they don't think sometimes how you might feel. I had a better experience giving birth than I did when asking about a smear test!

A lecturer at my university was telling me, her daughter had a baby by donation, and when she was at antenatal, they kept assuming she had a partner. It really annoyed her. I asked a friend of a friend once if she had any children (you tend to, when you have your own) and she said "I'm not married". I thought "That wasn't the question"!

Bloss, medical anomoly or not, surely it proves that women who do not fit the said criteria still need to be screened.

I've just had a quick surf on the subject of lesbians and cervical cancer and the sites stress the need for lesbians to be screened too. Apparently many women carry a papilloma virus which can develop further. I didn't go into the science so I am afraid I can't expand on this but it would explain your 'anomoly' Bloss. I've also should have mentioned that I've heard of clinics especially for lesbians that provide this kind of screening. It seems that lesbians are discouraged by their doctors from screening probably for the very reasons pointed out previously...doctors don't expect them to get it. Alarming one site mentioned that 2/3 of doctors felt uncomfortable dealing with lesbians and I have to wonder how many women would tell their doctor of their sexual orientation in such circumstances. I wonder how many lesbians have cervical cancer and are simple not stats because of the assumption of heterosexuality? It still seems to me rather dangerous to discourage smear tests because of family history I have been having them every couple of years since I was 18 whether I was sexually active or not was not an issue at the time.

For all those that haven't yet got around to their smear tests, I want to tell you I've just had the best ever experience of one yet. The nurse was well informed, very gentle and explained everything she was doing. It wasn't even uncomfortable. I obviously won't be rushing for another appointment, but it wasn't as awful as I was expecting! (Big tip, go when you are slap-bang in the middle of your menstrual cycle)

Go and have one - it could save your life.

Having had two very bad results from Smears, I cant recommend that you go for them enough. The risks far outweigh the discomfort in my book. And my cervix is at the back of beyond apparently!! But after having a very painful smear, I now know what to say if I have a different nurse and there are all sorts of different instruments they can use. definitely follow the advice of mid-cycle, just breathe and relax, I lie there and can feel my shoulders and fists clenched, and then before you know it its over.

I had very abnormal cells (CIN 3 for anyone in the know), after further (painful) investigation I needed that part cut out (!?) and the pain of the local anaesthetic injection in that area was !!*?"&

So after that, I have now realised how important and necessary these tests are, and yes I know its painful, but its quick, and very easy compared to what could be further down the line.

Ems, I am with you completely on this one. About 3 years ago I was diagnosed CIN3/borderline carcinoma to my absolute horror. I had to have a large loop excision and not only did the injection hurt alot, it failed to work properly and I could feel the excision. It was really grim and I was restrained by three nurses during the procedure. I could not believe that people were treated like this at the turn of the twentieth century. I have subsequently found out that many people having this treatment are dipped under with a general.
I cannot advise women strongly enough to be checked regularly. If you are stressing about a smear, just think how much worse it would be if you didn't go and went on to get cervical cancer.

OH Bugsy, what a nightmare! I cried most of the way through mine and held (squeezed) hands with a very motherly nurse. Because of the awful smears and experiences I'd had previously, when they said what they had found and that I would have to come back, I knew that I would find it very very hard to come back, general anaesthetic or not, hence I got the local there and then, so although it was awful I feel it was best at the time.

The next time I went in for treatment, different hospital, great equipment, they actually showed me my cervix on the telly!!

Glad to know that other people hate smears too! Have just had a letter to say it's that time again.

I've been told that the plastic speculum is not as bad as the metal one(why do they seem to store them in the fridge?) and apparently some enlightened folk let you pass the speculum yourself (not so sure about that!?)

As far as risk factors go age of first intercourse is important and so is smoking- another very good reason to abandon the evil weed.