Smear tests

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Have any of you had them? How did you find the experience?

extremely painful....

not everyone does though.

I've had a few done and never found them to be painful. Slightly uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing but I've always had really kind doctors and nurses who have made me feel more easy about it.

I've had at least ten since I was fourteen. I find the... what's it called, the speculum? I don't know, the thingies the doctor sticks in you to be able to stick the swab thingies in to get a sample of cells or whatever.

It's quick and for me it's not painful, but it's a little uncomfortable and it's extremely weird to have my genitals right in front of someone. And I've had the same doctor since I was fourteen. It's very brief so it's not all that bad.

I've never had one, but was persuaded to book an appointment for December. I'm really nervous.

You mean a pap smear? I personally tend to find those painful but not everyone does.

They are really important. I went over 15 years without one, went when I started to have spotting between periods that was almost like a second period, and they found cervical cancer so bad that they could see it as soon as they looked in (a 3.5 cm tumor). It's better to go on a regular basis as they probably could have caught it at a much earlier stage and done something less extreme than a hysterectomy to get rid of it. You'll probably just get peace of mind by finding out everything is normal in there.

I still have to get them even though I don't have a cervix any more because cancer can come back in the vaginal cuff (what they make at the end of the vagina if they remove the cervix) or in the vagina. My next one is in February.

Yes, it's the same thing as a pap smear.
And that's the exact reason the nurse gave for going.

I had one done for first time last year. I'm not sexually active though. I had to take Valium and Percocet about an hour before the procedure. It calmed me big time and there was no pain. I have a bladder disease so anything going in down there is very uncomfortable.

Too bad all exams can't be like my 6 week check-up after my hysterectomy. There was no pap smear. They were really gentle and they just peeked in at the cuff with a small speculum that probably wasn't even all the way open and did a quick feel of the stitches with one finger. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable of course but over quickly and didn't hurt.

At least it's usually only once a year for some people or even less. From what I read online I'll need them every 3 months for 3 years and then every 6 months for 2 years.

I went to a Christian OB GYN. It had a cross of Jesus in every exam room and to me it was great comfort to me. The doctor inserted the speculum differently than normal as to not touch my bladder and also used a baby one. Glad that the medications were prescribed for me. She told me that some of her patients have to be sedated for a pap smear. Some people are just terrified and no one should feel bad about that.

Not painful, but incredibly awkward. I just find a point on the ceiling to focus on, and try to ignore everything else.

I had my first one a couple of months ago. It was extremely painful for me, but I also have big problems with being touched... especially down there.

A lot of people say they aren't that bad, though.

Very painful sometimes, other times not, but they tell you it isn't. Sometime you bleed a little too.

Ask them to warm up the spect-thingy before putting it in. If its cold metal your muscles react and it hurts like hell when they screw it open. Some places do that anyway and some use plastic spect-thingys. The plastic ones don't nip as bad when they are screwed closed again.

I found a clinic where they do nothing but smears all morning once a week, they are better at it there, practice makes perfect, and its less embarrassing because you are in a queue and everyone is getting the same done.

The best thing about them specialising is they do it right, if a general nurse does it then a letter will come for a repeat smear because "not enough cells" or "sample contaminated", then you have it all to go through again, sometimes even a third time before they get it right.

Mine is coming up (on the 27th) and I'm getting more and more nervous.

I have mine every 2 years as recommended. It isn't painful, uncomfortable or embarrassing for me. It's nothing really. And it only takes a few seconds. I try to think up some other reason to see my GP at the time so I'm not taking the trip just for that.

Sorry, Alycat, my last post made it sound worse than it is. I was in a very gloomy mood when I wrote that, I'm sorry if it made you more nervous, its not as bad as all that.

It really is over quickly. Have something else lined up in your head to think about so you can distract yourself and let them get on with what they have to do.

Then you'll be out of there a few minutes later, relieved to have it over with.