Couldn't do smear test

[ifIwerenotanandroid]

Has anyone else tried & failed to do a smear test? I've been OK before but with my last one, it was immediately painful & my body kind of expelled the speculum (which was impressive but also painful).

Is this a sign of anything?

That you’ve got excellent pelvic muscle tone?
In the absence of any other issues with that area (pain, painful intercourse, discharge etc) then it’s not a sign of anything other than a difficulty in relaxing sufficiently this time of poor technique on behalf of the smear taker or maybe a bit of both. It could be that your bladder or bowel were full that made it painful, a smear is usually much more ‘comfortable and easier for both patient and nurse if both are empty. Sometimes vaginal dryness (more likely in older women) can make taking a smear uncomfortable.
Better luck next time.

Following as I had a similar experience

Thank you, FadedRed.

Well, I'm in my sixties and I do a lot of Pilates! So you're probably right about that. No problem with bladder/bowel fullness (fear of a smear saw to that), so probably tension/dryness.

Sorry to hear you had the same, Popcorn.

Just thought of something. The nurse showed me a glass/plastic thing she was about to use, instead of the expanding metal one - would that make a difference?

Plastic single use speculums (or whatever the Latin plural for speculum is: speculae? speculata?) are lighter and warmer than metal ones, but some brands are not so ‘slippy’. The use of lubricant is not encouraged as it can affect the smear and increase the likelihood of not getting a adequate specimen. This + some vaginal dryness could be the reason for the discomfort. Ask your GP or nurse prescribed for a course of oestrogen cream to use for a week or so before the next appointment. This is not unusual. Also you could ask to insert the speculum yourself next time, and to ‘lubicate’ it by dipping it in some warm tap water first.

I think I'd die of embarrassment, but in case I can face it, that's a lot of useful information. Many thanks.