Cervical screening

[Lovelyricepudding]

"Uptake of cervical screening in Scotland has declined in recent years and in 2020/21 only 69.3% of those eligible attended appointments.

This compares to 71.2% the previous year and 73.1% in 2018/19."

Wonder if there is any link with the fact that their recent campaigns do not mention women. I am amazed the BBC managed to use women in the article...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58864822

It was on bbc Scotland news this morning

Apparently people are not having smear tests down 40% and people will die from cervical cancer

People. People people

Health message targeting people

No wonder people are not going for a smear as the message goes right over the people’s heads

Ffs what is wrong in Scotland

Fucksake!! It’s women you complete idiots! Only women how we they identify have cervixes

Congratulations stonewall, women are getting ill & dying because of youre lies and gaslighting

(Ironically Nancy Kelley is busy tweeting about the perimenopause today….)

Gah! And now I’m so cross my grammar has gone to pot

It could also be due to Covid fears.

But yes, unclear messaging won't help at all.

People

Yet we have this

Yet men’s charities recognise that the message should be clear

@littlbrowndog

People

I'll let my husband know. I am certain he hasn't had a single smear test...

Apparently people are not having smear tests down 40%

I bet it is actually 20%.

@Lovelyricepudding

Apparently people are not having smear tests down 40%

I bet it is actually 20%.

🤣🤣🙌🏽

So what if men show up in good faith and concerned for their health?

How will the health professionals explain to them that they don’t need cervical screening?

“Don’t worry Mr , you won’t get cervical cancer and you don’t need screening.”

“But surely nurse you can’t tell by looking at a person that he doesn’t have cancer and I have seen the adverts and people are going for screening and people are dying!”

“Yes Mr , that is correct, but not people like you.”

“What do you mean, people like me? What are you saying that sounds like discrimination! What sort of people get cervical cancer?”

“People with a cervix.”

“Well I have never had my cervix removed so I think I should get it checked.”

And so on.

Or is it because there is a cohort of younger women who have been vaccinated against HPV and therefore do not see it as a necessity?

This from a midwife

It is a bit like all of us, including doctors, nurses, teachers, judges, police, politicians are locked into some parlour game which we must keep on playing at all times lest we become unemployed and unemployable hate criminals by acknowledging the existence and significance of the two sexes.

@Lovelyricepudding Personally I can’t see why anyone gets themselves stressed out over wording. Smears are done to save lives. If you’re eligible for one - get it. Anyone that doesn’t is ridiculous IMO.

My amazing best friend has just been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer at 32. She has 2 young children. Her smear was due in May 2020 and was cancelled due to covid. She wasn’t allowed to book another test until June 2021.

Please check that your tests aren’t overdue!

Personally I can’t see why anyone gets themselves stressed out over wording. Smears are done to save lives. If you’re eligible for one - get it. Anyone that doesn’t is ridiculous IMO.

Perhaps because 40% of women (much higher where English is not their first language or eg learning disabilities) don't know they are eligible. There is nothing in the wording 'people' to say they are or that men are not.

It also mangles statistics - 40% of women is 20% of people. Hey - we have halved the problem with one stroke!

I think it should be acknowledged that smear tests are invasive and unpleasant.
Of course its women's health so men get a psa blood test for prostate cancer.
Women get a speculum scraping their cervix (it has never just taken 5 min for me).
The BBC article suggesting its a quick "five minute test" does not reflect my experience.

But iced coffee. You seen what prostate cancer uk say. They use the word men and are really clear why they use the word men

It’s important

Sorry for your friend 💐

[quote IcedCoffeeAlways]@Lovelyricepudding Personally I can’t see why anyone gets themselves stressed out over wording. Smears are done to save lives. If you’re eligible for one - get it. Anyone that doesn’t is ridiculous IMO.

My amazing best friend has just been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer at 32. She has 2 young children. Her smear was due in May 2020 and was cancelled due to covid. She wasn’t allowed to book another test until June 2021.

Please check that your tests aren’t overdue![/quote]
If you’re eligible for one - get it. Anyone that doesn’t is ridiculous IMO

Point sailed right over your head.

How do "people" know they are eligible? Do you seriously think the entire population of Scotland knows what a cervix is? There's been plenty of research to show they don't.

Such arrogant pish.

"Everyone should know what we're saying anyway, so we can say anything we like on the assumption that our audience already knows what we mean. And it's their fault if they don't understand it."

In this application, language is for communication, not performance.

It's all just so absurd and I'm so tired of having to explain why.

I haven't had mine because I can't bear the thought of having it done in a mask because of previous sexual assault. There must be lots of us who feel like this but I haven't seen it addressed anywhere.

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19639181.snp-ministers-criticised-urging-anyone-cervix-get-smear-test/

That is a good article.

@Livelifeinthebuslane

I haven't had mine because I can't bear the thought of having it done in a mask because of previous sexual assault. There must be lots of us who feel like this but I haven't seen it addressed anywhere.

I was thinking the same. I believe in other countries they now have urine tests to check. Not sure why that hasn't been brought in over here. So many women are victims of sexual violence or simply aren't comfortable putting themselves in a such a vulnerable situation.