Women failing to attend smear tests

[guardianfree]

Women generally but young women in particular - 1 in 3 not attending.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jos-cervical-cancer-trust-charity-smear-tests-terminal-illness-health-wellbeing-hospitals-a8171011.html

I know they're unpleasant (and often feel humiliating) but what can we do to reassure women that they can be life savers?

=PleaseDontGoadTheToad

Not true, she didn't attend follow up appointments, get your facts straight.

Maybe 1 in 3 aren't haven't sex. Having sex is what makes it necessary to get checked for diseases and cancer. Funny, how that fact is neglected when this is discussed, particularly by the mainstream media. Prevention is better than cure.

Is it true that smears only screen for HPV? It wouldn’t detect other cell changes not caused by HPV virus? So if you know there is no chance of you having HPV virus (I.e. both myself and DH were both virgins when we got together), there is no point in having a smear test??

"Ehat traumatised women have i laughed at?? Ffs as if!! The vast majority of women who don't go for smears have not been traumatised. There are hopefully specialised services for those traumatised women?"

So

1. The women on this thread who have posted directly to you with their reasons
2. Hopefully? So you don't really know what you're talking about then

UpaBitLate, thanks for that. So no screening programme and a European study showing 20% reduction in deaths and an American one showing no benefit. Clear as mud as my mum would have said.

I've had 2 overdue babies, several "sweeps " , had a vaginal birth to a 9 and a half pounds baby (gulp,) had 2 coils fitted (not at the same time obviously!) So to me a smear is a walk in the park! 😬

DH and I were talking about this earlier when it was on the radio - the news story was that rates are down because women have body hang ups.....

I said to DH "what bollocks!" I think SOME women don't go for that reason but I think that's the minority.....

• body issues
• don't think it applies to them
• how difficult it is to get an appt/access a clinic
• traumatic experience (non smear related)

None of these on their own (past traumatic experience aside) IMO would stop a woman going BUT add to any of these how bloody painful and uncomfortable the whole experience is - I cramp for days afterwards and usually bleed, I don't know many women who don't have similar..... and you have the answer!

God forbid we actually take some personal responsibility for our own health, thanks for reminding me I need dentist appointment. I missed my last appointment, my dentist berated me, really should have told her to stick it, caring about my dental health the mad bitch!........

RogueBiscuit if you read the link UpABitLate posted you will see they don't routinely get offered it.

Spreads calming vibes around the thread......

I have learnt a lot from this thread and naively really hadn't thought about attitudes to women's health as reasons for some of the issues. Thank you everyone for sharing often personal and painful information.

We all need to make our own decisions about our health and information is a key tool to enable women to do this so to that end, the thread has been really informative. I do think that outright condemnation of other women for their choices is unhelpful. There's enough bullying of women at the moment so don't let's add to it.

I'm 41 & have never had a successful smear, it's painful & I just can't relax enough.

I don't bother even going for them now.

@Walkingdead11

My facts are perfectly straight, thanks.

Jade Goody always had smear tests however when she began getting abnormal results she decided to bury her head in the sand.

UpABitLate

So, you've not been able to point out where I have laughed at traumatised women........thought not.......... 🤔

Grannytomine He was invited for a general 'wellness' check when he was 50, but that's the only time he has been 'summoned' to the doctor - and the wellness check was just height, weight, blood pressure and questions about health - no mention of prostate testing.

Yes well quite.

The cervical screening in UK has been changed since I was young as it was doing more harm than good.

Women should be given the facts, the pros and cons, and it should be taken into account that it's a very invasive procedure.

Same as men are around prostate cancer in fact.

This always comes back to women not really being trusted. PP comment about birth is relevant.

I was watching earlier on the news about epilepsy drug and birth defects - govt decided women should not be told about risks??!!!??? Then you get women being refused getting tubes tied "in case they change their minds" and so on.

Look at the vaginal mesh thing as well.

Just awful.

They need to find out the real reasons women don't go and then address them. Not just shout at them. Bit like BF really, women get shouted at and then no support when it comes to actually doing it. All comes down to money + paternalistic attitude I guess.

Oh sorry. There was a crying laughing emoticon in the response after a PP talked about being abused. I think you actually just said she was stupid though, on re-reading.

I totally understand that they have saved lives and why people would want them. What I resent is being told that I must have one, and if I don't I'm stupid, irresponsible, my fault if I get cancer etc.
I didn't like the way I was being pressured into having a treatment I didn't want, I didn't feel like my opinion mattered.
It's my body and I have the right to decline having made an informed choice. Whilst there are a number of women who have been saved, there are many more than this that have had unnecessary procedures- which carry its own risks. There are also women who are screened and their cancer missed- in some cases leading to a false assurance that they were ok even if they had suspect symptoms.
If someone wants a smear test- great, but if you don't it's understandable and you shouldn't be made to feel like a reckless idiot for saying no.

Jade goody had adenocarcinoma which is typically not picked up by a smear test anyway. The figures clearly show that the vast majority of women who undergo treatment do so unnecessarily. I'm disturbed that there are public discussions about women's consent to make choices about their own bodies.

ScreamingValenta my husband hasn't been invited for one of those, maybe because he sees doctor regularly because of his other health issues. He actually gets on really well with the GP, they are like two old buddies meeting for a chat. I pity whoever books the appointment after him. I see a different GP usually and I am a quick in and out type of patient. I suppose at least we balance up.

So,@Walkingdead11, you want to increase upstate? How do you go about that?

You can argue your rights not to have one done until you are blue in the face, but I personally choose not to take that risk as a responsible adult with dependent children. No health screening is compulsory but it's done for no one else's benefit than your own. Quite what there is to argue about that is beyond my simple brain

My mother was given a smear when she was around 50 and didn't want one but the nurse did it without her permission. I assume she went for another reason and the nurse didn't tell her she would be performing a smear too. My mother said she walked out the doctors and went and bought a packet of cigarettes (she hadn't smoked for 25 years) and started smoking again from then on..

AintNo that's appalling.

Imagine if those of us who avoid smears partially or fully because of the increased risk of miscarriage and premature birth took that same sanctimonious attitude with you as you do with us jane. If I were a bit more of a cunt, I could write a lovely paragraph. I won't though.

*uptake