In the UK, we’re lucky to be offered cervical screening tests (previously called a ‘smear test’) every one to five years and yet, 1 in 3 women don’t take up the invite.
Why do 1/3 of women miss their cervical screening tests?
The main reasons include fear, embarrassment, not believing the test helps reduce the risk of cervical cancer, not wanting to get undressed in front of a healthcare professional and simply putting it off.
Every woman who chooses not to take her smear test has her own valid reasons but the cervical screening test really can save lives. It can flag up existing complications you may not have known about (like HPV or PCOS) and detect early stages of cervical cancer. Sadly, the uptake is falling. Each year, fewer women accept their invitation to the screening, meaning fewer women will identify potential problems early on. And whilst discovering these issues can be scary, with knowledge comes power.
So with this in mind, I’m embarking on a series of blog posts about different women’s experiences with the cervical screening test. Each woman I write about has expressed her full consent to share her story and some names will be changed, as requested. The aim is to accurately portray the process; from being invited to a smear test, booking an appointment, having the test and finding out the results. Not everyone’s results come back with positive news and the stories I share will reflect this.
Ultimately, I’d like to inform readers and hope any woman nervously Googling ‘cervical screening’ finds these stories helpful. Like all my posts, I promise to be honest because when things don’t go to plan being told ‘it will be absolutely fine’ makes the bad news that much worse.
Thank you to everyone who kindly shared their experiences with me. If you’d like to get involved, drop me a message.
Photo by Huasui on Pexels
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I am finding these posts really interesting. I am a lot older than many of your contributors so have been having tests for years and they have been mixed. I think that anything highlighting the need for people to attend has to be good as it is so important. Great job for highlighting this issue. Missy x
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Thank you x
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I get my pap every year without fail! I’ve never thought twice about them – they’re super easy and quick. Although back in December I had my first colposcopy. Ouch!
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Glad to hear you’ve had a great experience; sadly this isn’t the case for many women but let’s not let the bad outweigh the good! X
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This is a good idea!
I always found it excruciating every time my cervix was opened. The first time was to have a coil inserted, which was a disaster, subsequent times were for smear tests and one time because I thought a condom was lost inside me!
The more painful and anxious I felt, the more my body tried clamp shut against the speculum.
Then, one smear test the nurse told me my cervix tilts to one side. That time it was much less painful, because she angled the speculum slightly differently.
Now, I always tell the doctor/nurse my cervix tilts to one side and it’s been less painful ever since!
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What a relief it must have been to find that out! I wish you many more happy smear tests!! X
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