Suzanne Moore on the shame women are made to feel about their bodies and the effect on smear test attendance.

[HelenaDove]

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/27/shame-women-smear-tests-porn-feminism-bodies?CMP=twt_gu&__twitter_impression=true

interesting article, thanks for posting it

Well done to Suzanne Moore, for also getting in a sentence or two about how transgenderism has begun to erase the word 'woman' from health care literature. And in the Guardian too.......

An excellent article.

Excellent article, thanks for sharing it.

There's a long thread on AIBU about this and the charity's use of 'It's a beaver, don't be a diva' slogan. We really have gone backwards in terms of body image and shame.
It's is good to see the Guardian allowing the occasional questioning about the consequences of the obliteration of women (unless of course she just slipped it past the censors).

The slogan is terrible. Beaver is 80s lad mag porn speak.

Diva used to mean the operatic equivalent of prima ballerina. Diva used to be a used to describe a celebrated female singer; a woman of outstanding talent.

Prima donna too used to simply mean the leading lady. It's a bit sad that 2 very particular words to describe exceptional women have come to mean, silly, stroppy, hard work etc.

Oddly Il divo and maestro haven't suffered the same fate and I've heard diva and prima donna in the pejorative sense used for men

Apologies if every one already knows that but it irks me.

I’ve never heard any friend talk about embarrassment over how they look ‘down there’. But rather, it’s more than uncomfortable, it often hurts. Those of us who are victims of assault can feel traumatised by a stranger inserting a large object in there. Many of us have had a bad experience before. Maybe if they didn’t act like it was no big deal, we could have honest conversations and talk to them about our concerns before we have to have a smear.

The conversation about being embarrassed yet again makes women sound vain and obsessed with looks.
I'm not embarrassed about how my vagina looks.
I'm angry that the ONLY cancer screen I get invited to involves an invasive procedure.
It doesn't 'just take 2 minutes' it's an uncomfortable, sometimes painful, invasive, socially awkward medical procedure and there must be another way of testing.

I would mind less if I also got screened for colon cancer by having a speculum up my bum and got screened for throat and mouth cancer by having a oral swab taken.
But I don't. Which makes the whole process even more alien and upsetting.

I think there's a generational issue with this. So many young women seem to have been influenced by the porn / society view of what is 'acceptable' in terms of pubic hair, labia etc. There's been a huge increase in plastic surgery / beauty treatments etc - all seemingly based on turning women's bodies back into that of a hairless child. Real women's bodies with all of our irregularities, folds, different shapes, hair and variations are now unacceptable. Totally grim. Put that alongside an increase in 'anxiety' issues and is it surprising?

I’ve never heard any friend talk about embarrassment over how they look ‘down there’. But rather, it’s more than uncomfortable, it often hurts.

I have, and for many where this is the main reason, some women cover that by saying they are scared of the pain and discomfort.

This isn't to say the pain and discomfort isn't a valid reason to be worried about them. It is, and I think there is a lot that could be done to make them less painful/uncomfortable, if medicine didn't generally have the attitude of "shut up women, stop moaning, get on with it".

Eg, I think if a smear test only required a "digital vaginal examination" in the same way men get their prostate checked with a finger in the bum (ie not painful, just a bit embarrassing), take up would be higher than it currently is. However, there would still be a lot of younger women who wouldn't go because the embarrassment and worry about being judged alone would stop them.

Similarly, if the process was equally as painful but the swab was being taken from your throat, most women would go, in my opinion.

There are definitely a lot of younger women not going due to embarrassment/fear of judgement.

TMI warning, but as someone who has had rectal and vaginal exams - uncomfortable but reasonably dignified where you stay mostly covered and the practitioner is careful and reassuring, the contrast with smear test is huge. You are much more exposed, the force used is much greater, the attitude from the nurses is "shut up and spread 'em, it's not that bad" while they disregard any attempt to relax or prevent pelvic muscle spasm (incredibly painful). I know people who have never been back after a bad smear, they were so distressed by it. If the NHS is concerned about take up they need to address this stat. "don't be embarrased dear" is not good enough.

I ahte this atttitude of 'oh a smear oly takes a few minutes it's no big deal'. Personally I find it humiliating, undignified, incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassing.

Lying legs akimbo on a examination table with a bright lamp focused on my vulva and a stranger staring at it, then a metal (plastic if you're lucky) clamp inserted to forcibly open you up is horrid, no getting away from it.

I cannot believe there has not been a better testing method developed, and I am not surprised so many women avoid it. I am not an abuse victim and I get worked up, sweaty and panicky about it, good lord knows how an abuse victim feels.

I wonder (women who have suffered abuse or trauma aside) how many women find it difficult due to the HCP? I've had one difficult smear where I was left bleeding slightly but the rest have been quick, slightly uncomfortable, and handled with dignity. This is why I personally don't give a hoot about it. If my experience was regularly as bad as my dodgy one I'd be very disinclined to go back.
The one prior to my recent one it was over so quickly that I remarked that she couldn't have possibly done it. 'I'm sure neither of us want to hang around' she replied (very warmly I might add).
It makes me wonder if once they are trained in the procedure whether they are ever assessed again.

Oh yes, some are definitely better at it than others

I recently walked into my new GP surgery for a procedure, clocked the metal speculum and thought 'they're not going to give a shit about my discomfort'. I was right

any surgery that gives a damn has plastic speculums, they're so much better

My last smear was back in Nov 2014 Whenever i have it it feels like razor blades. And im not exaggerating. So thats the main reason. Seeing posts on here in the past from health professionals who DO judge women for not shaving their legs let alone their pubic hair doesnt help though. And women who experience razor blade type pain during this procedure wont take kindly to being referred to as a diva Yet again womens pain gets played down and minimized. Ive not been sexually active for years anyway.

I cannot believe there has not been a better testing method developed, and I am not surprised so many women avoid it

I know. The same method since it’s inception. I don’t remember which exact test, but men used to have a little swab thing inserted into their penis for a particular STD check. They’ve moved on from that because men didn’t like it.

I’ve had two very uncomfortable smears. Another one where I got a lecture about how lucky I was to live in a country that provided them as she did it. Only my first ever smear was easy.

I find smears very painful due to my tilted cervix, especially if the nurse isn't used to a tilted cervix. It pisses me off that all of these campaigns describe smears as pain free, when that isn't the case for all women.

I recently walked into my new GP surgery for a procedure, clocked the metal speculum and thought 'they're not going to give a shit about my discomfort'. I was right

I don't think I would stay if there was a metal speculum. In the past there have been so many scares about incorrect washing/sterilising procedures with them. I thought that was why disposable plastic was introduced, and that they all used it.

Also, it would help if the HCP doing screening was specialist in gynae and womens health. So many other things like prolapse and continence could be covered and people pointed in the direction of specialist physio gynae, meno clinics etc. They could call them Well Woman Clinics

My surgery has only two doctors, both male, one of them 'does not do women's stuff' so there is only a part-time nurse for anything like this.

Hmmm Im willing to bet the "lets cut down on plastics" brigade havent thought of this.

I’ve never heard any friend talk about embarrassment over how they look ‘down there’

I am a fucking educated woman. I scientist who worked in cancer research for a long time. I know how important screening is.

However. I am very conscious of todays expectations re. Pubic hair. I don’t shave, i don’t even do my bikini line. I am aware that many think of pubic hair as “unclean, unhygienic, dirty”. Just read any thread on here and “i shave because it’s cleaner” is the common thought.

I am very overdue my smear because i feel i will be judged for not shaving. I have heard of young, inexperienced hp linking pubic hair like mine with lack of self care and indications of depression.

I am conscious that i am “not normal”. It pisses me off that i am avoiding and putting my own health at risk. It pisses me off that i feel I have to hide away for not following societal norms.

I've never felt distressed by an internal examination performed by a doctor (and I've had enough) but yes, the smear test is different. It had hurt me every time except the one done by my private gynaegologist at my first post natal check, when I didn't feel a thing. The worst was at the local family planning clinic where an irate nurse tried to force "the beak" inside me and questioned how i ever managed to have sex. I just cried and fled after that one and have been reluctant to return more recently. i did have one about 10 years ago but i do find it quite upsetting. i would n;ot co operate with anyone who was happy with the word "Beaver" for my genitalia.

reallyanotherone

allow me to assure you that you are completely normal! the idea of putting a razor anywhere near my vag is horrifying. good heavens

Wow and she links to a telegraph article discussing the ridiculous cervix owner campaign

Some horrible stories ... I'm very sorry to hear that so many posters have had painful smear tests.

But I do wonder if HCP attitude is not the big issue here. I've lived in various different countries and I've been treated much more gently when it came to vaginal examinations and smear tests in non-English speaking ones.

I was very unpleasantly surprised when a grumpy HCP jabbed her speculum into my vagina without even alerting me beforehand. Why?

As for HCPs who judge women for not depilating their private parts - that really is just awful, awful misogyny. Too many women hate their own kind, sadly.