Ladies - how fussy are you when it comes to getting a smear done?

clairec79

Doesn't particularly bother me who does it, they've only ever been done by females (nurse at my GP does them) but I don't think it would bother me too much.

I tend to end up chatting through any speculum exam (ie smears, when had bleeding in pregnancy, or had a coil fitted or checked) as it distracts me, was chatting about the doc going on holiday the day after when had the coil fitted and talking about my baby - the chaperone seemed quite surprised

LJM

i dont care who does mine yes its not nice,yes it may be a bit uncomfortable but who cares for goodness sake it could save your life i wouldnt want my girls growing up without a mummy just because i was too embarrised/fussy about who does it to get it done.make your appointments ladies and you will feel so much better when its done and over with

emmaanddave

However embarrassed or little uncomfortable it may be I would rather go through that and now all is well than avoid a smear and not look after my body. As another poster has said, a smear is something the nurses carry out on a regular basis and it is something they almost do on pilot. If you are nervous then talk to them beforehand. My last smear last year I was tense, I didn't say anything but the nurse picked up on it and just said take a few deep breathes to relax and it does help. Funnily enough the nurse was a mum of someone I worked with.

There is no excuse that out weighs the need to go for a smear test.

Any

Caroline73 wrote: »

I don't care because I'd rather have a simple test than cancer.

Me too. I try not to over think it because there is no point. They are professionals and me worrying about letting them see me is irrational for them - that is what I tell myself anyway.

And yes it is uncomfortable - but I fear dentist more!!!:-)

*max*

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I was half expecting her to say she had discovered a chilean miner... half way through, she actually had to stand up and crick her back.

Oh thanks very much, just had to wipe coffee off my screen!
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

It's the chilean miner that got me! ROFL!

shellsuit

It's all very well to tell women to buck their ideas up and go for a smear, but how many men go to their GP when they should go because of their nether region?

aliasojo

bylromarha wrote: »

aliasojo - have you booked yourself a nice haircut/manicure/coffee with a mate for directly after?

Nope. I'm coming straight back here to mouth off to you lot about how embarrassing/mortifying/cringe worthy it all was. :rotfl:

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

ETA - when I was younger, a friend of mine used to have a couple of drinks beforehand - she was quite a 'goer' as they say, at the time - and her logic was that she was used to having a relative stranger fiddling around with her bits and pieces when she was tipsy!! Not advising you to do this btw, it just made me laugh!

I like that theory. Sadly (in this case) I was always very protective of my bits even whilst drunk so I couldn't even apply the same thinking. :rotfl:

cat04

I don't particularly like going for smears, but like everyone else has said, it's just something that has to be done so you get on and do it. I've only ever had a female do mine, and all but one have been done by the nurse. My first couple were with the stern older nurse and I was dreading her being as rough with me physically as she sometimes sounded, but she was fab. Chattered away about different sized equipment for different sized bits, warmed it up etc etc.

The only one I had done by a doctor was after DD2 was born. I'd gone for my 8 week check up, and had been due for a smear just after I got pregnant so she decided to do one there and then. I'd had stitches and was still feeling a bit delicate, and really didn't want anyone messing around down there just yet. That one was uncomfortable, not because of recent childbirth, but because of the way she did it, rougher than the nurses etc. After taking the smear she walked away to the sink to wash her hands and said 'I'll just leave it (the hideous metal contraction stuff uncomfortabley in my nether regions!) in a minute' - what the hell, it was pinching a bit and I thought to myself, you may be a woman but you have no idea do you love? lol. And guess what, there was blood in the smear so I had to go back again, but this time to a lovely nurse who did a fab job Hasn't put me (totally) off, and I know I must be due another one soon as DD2 is 3 now. At a new doctor's now as we've moved so not sure who will do it...

SingleSue

I put off having a smear test done for ages as I was too busy running around like a headless chicken after the boys were born/their problems becoming apparent. Eventually got around to it and to my horror they found abnormal cells, had to have a repeat smear, abnormal cells again, treatment up at the hospital and a repeat smear later and all was clear.
I was then put on 6 monthly smears, abnormal cells each time, treatment each time like a never ending merry go round until eventually it started to turn into something slightly more nasty and because of that and the endometriosis, a hysterectomy was performed.

I was 31 at the time of the hysterectomy.

Now almost 10 years later, I have never regretted the hysterectomy but I still regret not keeping up with the regular smears....if I had, it would have saved a lot of stress and a lot of invasive and highly personal hospital treatment.

RebekahR

I had my first call up age 18. I then I had a call up every single year to remind ... I went after my last reminder last December. I am now 29 ... that's some putting off!!! I have to say a major part of it was being a virgin for a large amount of that time, and also the absolute fear of the pain. What finally kicked me to go was Jane Goody ... Nurses do them for us too. She rang me on the morning to remind me as most people don't turn up!!