Smear test required, no sexual history?

[Scamperscamper]

Just that really. If you've never had sex or any kind of skin-to-skin sexual contact with anyone, do you need a smear test? Can you still be at risk of what they're testing for? I always thought tests weren't recommended for virgins, but I've heard the tests have changed now and I'm not sure how they're different.

If you're in Englsnd, the NHS is starting to send the tests out. Not sure of the criteria to be sent one.

Rape?

There's a post above about the visual appearance. In all the smears I've ever had nobody has actually got down there and looked. It was just a scrape.

NHS England are now sending home HPV tests on request to smear refuseniks.

"So yes a smear is still recommended"

NO, it's NOT according to the most recent information I saw from the NHS. It's optional i.e. it's something you can have if you want if you are worried about getting one of the rare cervical cancers not caused by sexually transmitted HPV, but it's not recommended.

Now, they test for HPV before looking at the cells so the advice may have changed slightly.

He should have been more straight forward.
Nuns can be widows or lie about being virgins, which might account for the small number of cervical cancer in nuns.

The gynaecologist did for me. It's probably less likely if done by the GP's nurse.

They always (or nearly always, I don't remember every time) do with me, different nurses, different practices, different health areas. There we are, talking about the traffic, and she comments on what a nice looking cervix I had, which was slightly weird, but better than when another one spotted a polyp and went off to find a GP to have a look so they could refer me. (Nurses can't refer, it seems.)

It used to be like this (only those who are sexually actuve), but now it’s anyone 24 and up.

No, I don't think it is. What you mean maybe is that they will send the letter to anyone 24 and up - used to be 18 and up when I was young - but if you tell them you're a virgin they will explain that you have a right to a test, but it's not considered necessary.

Well, it's possible, but it would require a lot of them to be raped, far more than among the general population. Someone once suggested sex toys, but that would only work if shared. They're hardly going to go for morning prayers and then have a toy swapping session, as in 'Come on, sisters, what do we have today!" No, despite what we're told, the virus transmits in other ways.

@Gwenhwyfar No, that wouldn't account for the numbers testing pos - almost identical to the general female population.

I don't think number among nuns IS the same as the general female population. You mentioned one study from Ghana, but that's not necessarily the same for all nuns.

But why would so many in one convent be testing positive? Obviously you need more studies, but it's a good indication that there are others means of transmission.

"Lower cervical cancer rates for nuns (10.8%) than for controls (56.6%) seemed related to coital factors. "

The above was in the US.

Cancer mortality among nuns: role of marital status in etiology of neoplastic disease in women - PubMed (nih.gov)

I recently had a doctor telling me that I MUST have a smear test, as not all cervical cancers are transmitted by sexual contact. However, she did not believe me when I said that I have no interest in sexual contact of any description, with anyone. She spoke to me like I was about 15 and still in the phase of, "Boys are generally disgusting".

Just have your smear tests! Whether sexually active or not just have them to be safe.

Im saying this cos I just lost a friend from cervical cancer that spread everywhere cos she never had a smear. She was 32 years old 1 sexual partner and 2 kids left behind

In other countries, they look for other issues when having smear tests (like people having marks/warts/discharge commented on so they can be treated), but I don't know if they do that here?
If they do, then that would be a good reason to go-if they only test for HPV, is it any better than doing a home test? I would check this with a health care professional before deciding, OP.

My GP told me the exact opposite and in fact took me off the list when I was not a virgin, but had been celibate for many years.

I just looked it up and the researchers don't even suggest a reason why it was happening...

In other countries, you go for your annual checkup with the gynaecologist and not necessarily just for a smear test.

HPV can lie dormant for years even decades . I’ve seen posts on mn from women married 30 years then test positive when they hit menopause. Posts from people celibate for a decade or more too . It happened to me . Negative tests then suddenly positive without changing partners . It was pregnancy that reactivated nine .

Yes, I know. I was just explaining how different doctors have different approaches.

However, my assertion that the NHS does not recommend smear tests for virgins and merely offers it as an option comes from something I saw written in a very official place by the NHS, either a leaflet or a website

@TheeNotoriousPIG There are pros and cons to having cervical screening tests. I'm firmly on the pro side, but won't go into that. It's been thoroughly thrashed out on another thread. BUT whatever anyone's reasons for not having them, it shouldn't be because you think you can't get HPV. I thought it was impossible for me to get it, yet I tested positive a year ago, and again a few weeks ago. There's no chance I got this sexually unless I was raped while unconscious. Impossible to know how, but possibly 7 yrs ago in hospital. Not allowed to get up for 8 days, dependent on bedpans, a LOT of bedpans because I was encouraged to drink a lot. Not in UK (but European country so hygienic) and bedpans are different from those in UK - your genitals are directly in contact with base. Even after sterilisation HPV has been found on medical equipment, which has made sone researchers reconsider the possibility of infection by this route. Only speculation but I got it somehow and it wasn't through sex. Best just to have your smear tests, even though you know you're not going to have any kind of intimate contact (and unlike your doctor I do believe you.)

My last 3 smears have included an examination of my cervix. At least, the nurses talked about it. While my earlier smears felt like just the cell collection, it might have been that they quietly looked but said nothing.

Doesn't mean it wasn't happening.