smear tests

mum2one

Our health authority send out reminder letters and if you dont go, we then get a follow up note from the gp surgery saying your overdue.

Itsnever a pleasnat experience, Im on yearly recalls,becoz of having pre cancerous cells, and I do make an effort, Im even more paraonid now as I have an erioson of the cervix and smears can sometimes be contaminated by blood.

I just tell the nurse that b4 the smear and they are really careful and use a softer brush.

x

patchwork_cat

I think that maybe some of you have not read my original post.

The thing that got me cross was not that I have missed a smear or had forgotten - which I hadn't I actually rang my surgery to ask the date of my last smear just before Xmas about 6 weeks before receiving a recall. It was that they changed the recall dates and didn't inform people so someone who had a smear in 05 now on 3 year recall would have a smear this year, but so did I when last smear was 03. That is a 2 tier system.

I do hope that you are all going to be just as perfect about your mammograms when the time comes - do you know without looking it up what recalls these are, ages etc. NO you don't - no cheating. Don't be so pious. I also hope that all of you who take charge of your health and don't expect to be called to smears - eat 5 fruit and veg a day , have a BMI under 25, exercise for half an hour a day or an hour 3 days a week or whatever is latest guidance! Never binge drink or have more than 14 units of alcohol a week, go to the dentist without promting every 6 months, floss and mouthwash to prevent gum disease which is implicated in heart health and ofcourse ensure that your children all do the same. I could go on, when you can say yes to everything then you can criticise.

The coverage of eligible women for smears is 79% and of them most are tested on recall. However 21% are not being tested perhaps we should be criticising them!

melancholly

patchwork_cat wrote: »

I do hope that you are all going to be just as perfect about your mammograms when the time comes - do you know without looking it up what recalls these are, ages etc. NO you don't - no cheating. Don't be so pious. I also hope that all of you who take charge of your health and don't expect to be called to smears - eat 5 fruit and veg a day , have a BMI under 25, exercise for half an hour a day or an hour 3 days a week or whatever is latest guidance! Never binge drink or have more than 14 units of alcohol a week, go to the dentist without promting every 6 months, floss and mouthwash to prevent gum disease which is implicated in heart health and ofcourse ensure that your children all do the same. I could go on, when you can say yes to everything then you can criticise.

i actually resent being pious - strongly. i've said i don't remember perfectly and to compensate i keep all important information in one place so i can check.

and as it happens i am just back from the gym, have plenty of fuit and veg (from a local organic delivery service as i don't often get to the supermarket so they send me a random selection each week!), drink 4 units a week, had my last dentist check up in december, only floss 4/5 times a week though, with mouthwash daily. WHICH IS ALL IRRELEVANT!

maybe you should be less rude to people who offer pretty polite advice on how you can, quite easily, access lots of information about your own health. if you are calling me pious then i reserve the right to suggest that your posts come across as defensive and condescending, without any note of personal responsibility (note i refer to how your posts are phrased and not your personality!).

perfectlypoor

Hi I am guessing that post 73 wasn't aimed at me as I wasn't critising anyone in anyway and was just sharing my own experiences as I am currently involved in the subject. I know if it wasn't for my anxious personality I myself may have overlooked the smear when the time had come.

patchwork_cat

The thing is melancholly - I wasn't asking for advice - not that 'I always remember' constitutes advice it just comes across as smug. I did not forget to have a smear my gripe was that we have a two tier system. I do wish people would read the original post. Regardless of what you all say the majority of people wait to be called for smear - but incidentally - I have NEVER been called before this latest time as I have always been proactive. I will bet my bottom dollar I am older than all of you who have posted ' I always go , before I am called ' well 3 years ago I was the same.

The only really relevant post to my OP has been Shona and thegeary. I am very sorry for those that have had abnormal smears and wish them all the best.

This whole thread has gone way off my point when someone said - If it is 6 months from when I am expecting a smear and I d on't get a letter I see them. That is missing my point . I knew I was on 5 year recall, but they changed the guidance without informing the public or changing thousands of peoples recall date.

Short of checking the guidance online for all sorts of health screening issues on a six monthly basis one can not be expected to know without trusting your HA. If you re-read my post you will see that I did ring my practice before Xmas to check dates - before my recall.

The 'advice' I have received was not asked for or required. I was merely pointing out to people who might be in my situation go and get a smear as they have changed guidelines albeit having a bit of a rant at the same time. I know very well how to access info on my health thank you and didn't ask for help on that I will not go into my background here, but suffice to say I am aware - certainly more than most.

As a point I would like to say I do take responsibility for my health I have said all my life that there is only 1 person who will suffer if you get ill/ do not receive treatment etc.

eyelinerprincess

I don't think anyone was trying to be condescending or perfect. From looking at the thread, this has just turned into a discussion about smear tests and everyone else's experiences and woman to woman advice.

the_geary

patchwork_cat wrote: »

This whole thread has gone way off my point when someone said - If it is 6 months from when I am expecting a smear and I d on't get a letter I see them. That is missing my point . I knew I was on 5 year recall, but they changed the guidance without informing the public or changing thousands of peoples recall date.

I re-read your earlier post - I am a bit surprised that they have changed your recall from 3-to5-years, do you mind me asking what area you live in and how old you are (Pm me if you wish)? From my contacts with the HA, I got the distinct impression that my area (East Anglia) was only changing them at the time of the next test.

I agree that not enough information is more easily accessible to the public, only a small amount was in the press about the changes to the recall when they were made. We get quite a few queries from GPs surgeries checking recalls out too - it can be quite complicated.

E.g. if you are under 25 but had already been called or been screened under the old system, then you will continue to be called (in my area anyway) now. If, however, you hadn't been then you would get your first invite probably about 6 weeks before your 25 birthday.

I know there are regional variations between HA and what labs do regarding different recall intervals and even follow-up. This is partly because the guidlines (see the NHS CSP website, especially publications 1 and 20) are sometimes given as mandatory, 'best practice', 'recommended' or 'suggested'.
Anything that is mandatory e.g. if someone has 3 low grade smears over a ten-year period they should be referred to colposcopy is usually adhered to across the board.
Others e.g. 'referral on first occasion of mild dyskaryosis is best practice but referral on the second occasion remains acceptable'. And so different areas have different referral policies for patients with a result of mild dysk. IIRC the north-east tends to refer on the 1st and round here it's on the 2nd. This is because there's a variance of opinions on how these patients should be managed and what the likely outcome is of them being referred.

Anyway I hope that gives some idea of why there are differences across the country - I know that doesn't make it any easier for members of the public but the more people who know about the NHS CSP website the better, as that does at least explain some of it!
Sorry for the long post! There goes my lunch break! :rolleyes:

perfectlypoor

Got home this afternoon to find a letter from the hospital saying that CIN 3 had been confirmed but the cells were not cancerous. Just wanted to share as I am relieved and feeling much happier. Sorry I know this is not a response to the first post but wanted to share my good news so there! lol

patchwork_cat

Excellent perfectly poor - have one on me. I bet you cried with relief!

belfastgirl23

BTW I checked recall times with the FPA and apparently guidelines in NI (or certainly in the Belfast area) are recall for testing 'every 3-5 years' but the FPA believe it should be every three years...guess there are difs across the country as well as across different services...