My First Cervical Screening
In this post I am going to talk about my experience of my first cervical screening (aka smear test). I know that it is a very daunting thing, but it is very important; there have been a lot of reports that many women are skipping their tests and I want to encourage more people to go have theirs.
This is going to be an in depth talk and I am not going to sugar coat anything; I will talk about my nurse, the procedure and how I felt afterwards. That being said; it was not as intimidating as I thought, it was not as painful as I feared and only took a few minutes.
When you receive your letter inviting you for a screening it will include an information pack but here’s a link explaining cervical screening; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/
Firstly I will tell you these three things;
- I am 25 years old, I was 24 at the time of the procedure, you can be invited up to 6 months before you turn 25 so that is nothing to be concerned about.
- I did have the HPV vaccines, so while my chance of developing most types of cervical cancer are reduced I still think it is important to partake because there can be other causes.
- I have never had sexual intercourse. I tell you this because as a virgin I was especially nervous, plus as HPV is sexually transmitted there is practically zero chance that I would have contracted it but I felt it was important to have the test anyway.
I tell you this because I know that many women my age will have received the HPV vaccines, and I know that being of virgin is cause for embarrassment for some people, so they may not feel it is necessary to attend their screening. However, I think it is important because not all cancers are caused by HPV so in my opinion it is best to have the test for peace of mind and for your future health as your results are kept so any abnormal cells can be monitored.
I am a jeans and tshirt type person and very rarely wear a dress, and I don’t even think I own a skirt, but I did wear a dress to my appointment because I felt more comfortable knowing that I would only have to remove my underwear. I think that taking off jeans and underwear may have made me feel a bit more vulnerable (that may be ridiculous but it made me feel better).
When you book your appointment it is usually scheduled with a female nurse, but you can ask just to make sure, and you need to take your period into account. I had my appointment a week before my period is due because I read somewhere that it was best to go in the middle or towards the end of your cycle but apart from the days you are bleeding, the 2 days before and the 2 days after you can have your test done at any point in your cycle.
Now, onto the actual appointment, initially the nurse asked me if this was my first screening, about my sexual activity and when my last period was; no need to be embarrassed, you are asked about sexual activity when you ask about or are getting prescriptions for contraception; and they ask about your period so they know that they can proceed with the test.
When I said that I am not sexually active she asked if I had ever had sexual intercourse, when I said no she told me that there is a thin piece of skin that covers the vagina (I presume she was talking about the hymen) and that if it is intact then she might not be able to continue with the procedure. I presume this is because to continue would be very painful, so if you are a virgin and the nurse does not perform the procedure this might be why (she should explain this to you), but she should examine you first to know if it can be done. If they do not carry out your procedure, ask why.
She told me that I can ask her to stop at any point if it is painful.
After we had finished our conversation, which only took a minute or two, she asked me to go behind the curtain and remove my underwear while she prepared the equipment. I did not have to take my shoes off (I was wearing flats, so that may be something to consider when you go). Once I said that I was undressed she asked me to get on the examination table; I pulled my dress to my hips and laid down flat on the table.
Once I said I was ready she came around the curtain, she reassured me that the door was locked so that no one would be able to enter the room during the procedure. She told me that she would insert a plastic speculum into my vagina which would then be opened so she could access the cervix; she told me that the speculums are single use so it has never been used before. She did not show me the speculum which I am actually glad about because I think that seeing it would have made me even more nervous. She told me that she would then use a soft brush to collect cells from my cervix.
When she was sure I had understood her she told me to place my feet together near my bum, let my legs naturally fall to the side and concentrate on relaxing the muscles in my bum and stomach. Yes, this did make me feel exposed but she made me feel at ease; she told me that she was running the speculum under the tap because the water makes insertion easier.
She made sure to talk to me the entire time, telling me what she was doing; she told me that she would touch me first, to move my labia in order to have clear access to the vagina.
The insertion of the speculum was uncomfortable but it was not as much as I feared and wasn’t painful. However, I did experience some pain when she opened the speculum but once I concentrated a relaxed my muscles again it eased.
Honestly, even though she told me she was going to collect the cells I didn’t really feel the brush at all, probably because I was concentrating on being as relaxed as possible. She told me when she had collected the cells and the she was removing the speculum, again uncomfortable but not painful.
She told me that was it and I could redress, the whole thing did not take more than 2 or 3 minutes.
After I had put my underwear on I came around the curtain to see her swirling the brush in some liquid in a sample pot. She asked if I was ok, that my results should be send to me in about 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks, and then said I could unlock the door and go.
I had some very slight discomfort for about an hour afterwards and one small cramp, but it was less noticeable than if I was on my period.
So that was it, I did experience a little pain but it was not as bad as I have feared and was over much quicker than I expected.
I received my results after three weeks and I got the all clear.
I hope that by going into detail about my experience it has reassured some people and even convinced some to make an appointment for their own screening.
I know that it’s daunting, and a bit uncomfortable, but it could potentially save your life. If anyone wants to talk or has questions then my inbox is open.
