Thanks Bela, will try and help!
I’m a little confused by your post, Banoffee - a smear test is done to examine the cells of the cervix as part of a routine screening programme. Nothing at all to do with vaginismus. If a doctor suspects vaginismus she may do a PV exam (vaginal examination) and use fingers, and possibly a speculum to observe the vagina and cervix. This isn’t usually done by a nurse, unless a specialist nurse at a gynaecology clinic. A practice nurse wouldn’t be doing this. They do smear tests though.
A swab would be done to check for bacterial or viral infections. It’s like a long cotton bud and is put into a vial. A smear sample is taken with a cervical brush, it has a long handle and the end is like a shaped brush.
Smear samples usually take between 2 and 4 weeks to come back, so to hear within a week that the sample is inadequate is unusual. A swab result would be quicker, so it may be that you had swabs taken and not a smear.
If it WAS a smear and it was inadequate (ie not enough cells, or the cells weren’t of a good enough quality) then you should wait at least 3 months before trying again.
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. I’m a practice nurse and do hundreds of smears a year; I’ve had many women who find it uncomfortable and some who have more significant difficulties but I always listen to her, and if she says stop I stop. It’s her body, she’s in charge. I very rarely have to abandon the procedure though, most women cope with it if we take our time, talk through it and breathe!
I would ask to speak to the GP, and discuss what was actually done and what went wrong.
Hope it’s better for you next time. 💐