The day before my 25th birthday, I received a letter in the post telling me I was due for a smear test. That was in May, yesterday 4 months later I went to my appointment. Why? Because I was scared, my Nan was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer at 26 and had to have a
hysterectomy.
See smear tests are still seen as a taboo, even after the whole Jade Goody saga, girls are still reluctant to go. What through lack of information and support, or not being able to talk to anyone about their experience, so today that is what I am going to share with you. Personal...yes, informative: always. Ever since I wrote this post about
contraception, I have always found a passion to get information out to girls about their health and awareness.
So here we go.
No matter what I say, you will always have an underlying sense of apprehension, I mean who ever feels confident taking their pants off and spreading their legs for a complete stranger right? But you will always, always be greeted with a female doctor or nurse when going for your cervical screening and trust me when I say: SHE HAS SEEN IT ALL BEFORE. I entered the Doctor's room after a slightly anxious wait and was greeted with a great big smile and conversation that put me at ease straight away. I asked her if it was ok for her to talk me through some points as I was planning on writing about it for my blog and she was more than happy to help me. If you are planning on booking an appointment soon or have a smear test in your diary, here are a few points to remember:
- Don't have sex 24 hours before your appointment as sperm, lubricating gels and spermicide gels can interfere with your results.
- If you have been prescribed vaginal pessaries for an infection, you should postpone your screening until you are well again.
- RELAX, the more relaxed you are, the more comfortable your screening will be.
The Doctor was also kind enough to show me the equipment used when performing a cervical screening and it wasn't as scary as I had imagined. I always thought the speculum they used was metal and I was happy to see that it was made out of plastic. Below is a diagram of what will happen during your smear test:
Water is the only lubricant the Doctor or Nurse can use now, as all others interfere with your cell results. So the Doctor ran the speculum under the tap and that was the point where I had to drop my trousers, like I said, never nice, but she made me feel really at ease. The speculum was inserted and expanded and then using the brush, she roatated it 5 times to take her sample, took the speculum out and that was it. All over in a matter of mintues, now I won't lie to you..it was uncomfortable, but
it didn't hurt.
Cervical Cancer is the 11th most common cancer in women in the UK, more than half of all new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in women under 50. In the UK it is rare for young women to die from cervical cancer, around 80% of cervical cancer deaths are in women over 45. Taking ten minutes out of your day to go for a smear test could
save your life.
The HPV virus is the main cause of cervical cancer, so keeping your sexual health checks up as well, will also halve your chances of becoming ill.
I hope this has given you a few more details about smear tests and you feel a tad more informed and relaxed about it. You honestly have nothing to worry about, it is quick, simple and pain free. Please talk to your Doctor about any anxieties or difficulties you might have, as they are very understanding and more than happy to put your mind at rest.
Hey if you can have a vejazzle, you can have a smear test, here's to a healthy vagina!!
