Hi everyone/ anyone 

I have been having abnormal bleeding/ spotting for a few weeks, in January I had 2 full periods and then spotting from vagina after bowel movements (sorry tmi), now the spotting is more regular and it is there when I wipe even after a wee! 
I rang the drs to get an appointment for a smear test and told it isn't due until next year but the nurse will do vagina swabs, the appointment is this afternoon, will the swabs test for the same things as a smear test would? I can only see that they swab for stis or pelvic inflammatory disease. I can't have an sti as I haven't had sex since when I got pregnant- my son is now 3 lol!! 
Previously I had an abnormal smear in 2012 and I had a colposcopy then everything was ok. I missed my next smear and I didn't have one until 2019 (really bad I know) and that was clear so obviously then i was told come back in 3 years- which will be next year. 
im really panicking because of the bleeding - I know it could be anything else and not necessarily cancer but I don't want it to somehow go undetected u told my smear next year. I also have severe anxiety which isn't helping. I know I can ask the nurse later but my mind is going crazy!! 
 

any advice will be great