Hello

Just reading all this and wanted to post. I've just come back from a smear test - I was dreading it as I have a tilted cervix which makes it a little trickier for the nurse to find.

It wasn't good, I burst into tears and she thought she would have to refer me elsewhere but I asked her to try one more time and to time each movement of the speculum with me breathing out and was able to manage it.

I've had one done before though by a GP where it was completely fine? I think the training needs to be better, clearly breathing out steadily does help and it's a simple thing to tell women.

She did use a smaller speculum but I don't think it actually helps because it's shorter and she couldn't see my cervix.

Make sure you explain your fears - nurses/gps etc really should do everything possible to help. But also try the breathing out.

Thank you all for these posts!

I have had the same experiences - always agony, takes 3 or 4 appointments, diazepam, etc. I am now 59. Today endured my last attempt at a smear test. Insertion of the smallest available speculum was very very tight, and the nurse could not open the speculum at all. Another failure. I have not had sex since 2005, and my last smear (on referral to hospital colposcopy dept., with diazepam, after 3 failed attempts by 2 nurses and a doctor at the surgery) the result was clear and my cervix "looked very healthy". So today the nurse said "your chances of having HPV are very small, so don't bother with any more smear tests. It's just not worth it." I do feel a bit of a failure tho. I am not particularly sensitve/intolerant to other types of pain: heart attack, torn achilles (ouch) and injections into the abdomen - all a breeze compared to failed or successul cervical smear tests. 

When having a smear test in my late 20s, the young, female doctor said "Your response is abnormal. Did your father sexually abuse you as a child? Oh well, it might get easier after you are married." I was livid. And after that rough but at least sucessful scrape I had a scratchy "like-banging-your-funny-bone" pain in my cervix for about 2 days. Today's nurse was very kind, and I told her what that doctor had said (first time I have told anyone). The nurse said that was unacceptable and I should have reported it. Too late now; I just spent 30 years thinking it was somehow me being immature.

Good luck everyone!

K     

I just wanted to say what a relief....no more smears! I only have one to go..( in five years time)

The nurse who did it a few weeks ago was very kind and boy does it make a difference!

Its interesting to see there are many of us out there...xx

Hi all, to those of you who done the check4cancer at home test, do they send them to your GP too or do you need to tell them? I'm so glad to have read this post, I have really struggled with pain there with smears and anything really and so saddened to see some of your experiences, it really isn't as easy if you suffer with extreme pain, made to feel like a wimp. I'm going to try the at home kits and hoping the trials their doing will come through so can have these in the future for all smears xx

Hi, 

no they don't send to your GP, I gave mine the results. They do take it seriously though and OMG it's sooo much easier. Mine came back hpv positive so had to go for a proper smear. A nurse will call you from the company if you test positive to and she was lovely and very helpful. Fingers crossed the nhs does role this service out as it's so much easier. I had to go for a colposcopy and even woth diazapam it was too painful. Tip if you have to go for a smear ask if there is a gp that can do it, nurses tend to get impatient (at least I've found that) but gps are better trained for when it's not easy. Mine was great and it took 2 attempts but got there. 
hope it helps. 
 

Lol, I am a nurse myself and to get this   the nurse last time was patient but it was still soooo painful, and having tried 3 times now, now I just dread it. Before they said you can have a pessary to help, then when asked for it GP said no, so think at my practice, the GP isn't the better option but debating going private, but have ordered the check4cancer now, so if it does show anything then will consider my options. So glad I found this!!

Oh sorry lol my nurse was lovely but kept clock watching and just said I don't have to do it or could go to the gp. The gp I saw gives longer appointments for gyno. She thought my issue was psychological I had a really really bad experience with a smear at my old gps and now I tense and freak out but can't control it. The private one is good to as it tells you which strain (s) of hpv you have of any to which they don't in the nhs 

No dont worry, I wish I was a nurse doing them as would know what it's like, and could really empathise, I think unless you one of the few of us where this is really painful and it isn't just being wimps at all, you wouldn't get the turmoil it causes us knowing we need this so badly and so important but it's a traumatic experience. I think I might see a Dr about it as wonder is something anatomical or related to me endo and pcos that causes this. 

Hi there

I do understand that many people struggle to have a cervical screening test taken for various different reasons and it is important to find ways to make this simpler and easier.

As people have said there is very much a place for self hpv testing ( which is carried out by the person themselves in the comfort and privacy of their own home). The NHS have recently trialled this out as part of the screening programme in areas of the country which had a low uptake for cervical screening that you can read more about here.

I am sure within time this will be a part of screening available to everyone but the other thing to remember is if a positive hpv result comes back from the self swab kit further tests will be needed. This is because the swab is only able to pick up hpv not the presence of abnormal cells which also need to be checked for. Therefore following a positive hpv an internal cervical screening test would then be needed as well as possibly a further follow up at a colposcopy unit for assessment and treatment of abnormal cells.

There are both good nurses and doctors out there who are able to perform cervical screening well and I wouldn't say that either is better than the other. However I would say it tends to be the nurses who carry them out day in day out so are usually very experienced. Of course everyone's experience is different and if anyone has tried but failed to have their screening test taken by one person they can ask to see a different person as well as try different things such as a smaller speculum, different position, lubricants and relaxants to try to make it much more comfortable and possible experience.

Do remember many nurses and female GP's themselves have gone through screening and not all of them will have always had positive and pain free experiences. Alot of them will have been where you are, so you are not alone in this and they really will try and help you in any way they can.

At the end of the day the important thing is that those with a cervix go for screening so that any abnormality can be picked up and monitored or treated until it returns to normal to prevent the risk of cervical cancer.

I hope this is helpful but do get back with more questions if need be.

All the best

Naomi