Push needed to book a smear please (I find them rather scary!)

[TambaTheDragonSlayer]

After the last thread about them on here (about 6 months ago) I finally booked one and actually turned up at it....

But the results came back inconclusive and they asked me to re-book which I promptly forgot to do...

So they sent me another letter giving me an appointment time and date. But I got scared and didnt go...

Another letter arrives asking me to book an appointment....

I find them painful and they scare me so I really dont want to go. Im 23 - is it still important to have them when you are young?

Need a shove in the right direction please and some reassuring words about how they arnt always painful and my nasty one must have been a one off experience....

Not read all the thread but know how you feel.

I hate smears, my first was done by a male doctor with a student present, they looked right in and shined a light with the doctor saying to the student 'there is the cervix, you need to feel around this area and take the cells from there' It didn't help that the student was male too!!! But being only 18 I kept my mouth shut and left feeling terrible. I now insist on a female every time.

My reason for posting though, wasn't to put you off even more, but to say my best friend lost her Mother to cervical cancer last year. She only ever had one smear which was a bad experience she didn't want to go back. They said if she had had a smear when she was due they would have found it early enough and they could have treated her.

PLEASE GO, it is embarrasing and unpleasant but it only takes a few minutes and it could save your life!!!!

Af is still here - can I still go???

Phone surgery and ask the nurse.

Stop stalling and get it sorted out woman.

Tell them you are phobic too, so they know you aren't just deliberately messing them about.

yes, deffo go. It is uncomfortable, but only for a couple of minutes.

this thread has actually reminded me to book one, thanks

They have said I cant go if AF is here as they wont be able to get a good 'sample' but have re-booked fr next week. I am deffo going to go - I cant risk leaving my children motherless.

My mum found smear tests 'rather scary' and embarrassing so never went for one and preferred to take the ostrich approach. She found it even more scary when she discovered she had cervical cancer. By the time she sought help the consultant said she must have had it for about 10years for it to have progressed as far as it had. Two years after being diagnosed she died at the age of 54. We watched her suffer through those 2 years and my brother still hasn't recovered yet, 17 years later. 2 cousins on my mother's side had the cancer discovered in the early stages by going for smears. They were successfully treated and are completely recovered.
Don't dither - go and get it done. For yours and your children's sake.

I am like everyone else and hate having it done.
And put mine off for over a year but I was brave and had it done and it was a real sinch compared to other times. The nurse who did it was really nice (and gentle!) but they do it slightly different now with what can only be described as a long handled toothbrush! apparantly it gathers more cells that way so its more effective. Much easier and done in a flash, so all my worrying for nothing. Still treated myself to a nice cream cake after for being so brave. SO GO AND GET IT DONE GIRL!