FabSwingers.com forum: I want a smear test

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

So when I was pregnant I was told by both my doctor and my midwife that once I had given birth, I could have a smear test (even though I’m only 22). I even asked at the hospital and was told this should be the case.

So I’ve been queering it at my GP. And nope. I’m not 25. I’m not getting one. Despite me protesting, I’m still not allowed one. My gran died of cervical cancer when she was very young? Nah. Doesn’t matter. The doctor even googled it (how reassuring eh?) and nope...

Stupid rule. Stupid stupid stupid.

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By *ablo minibar123Woman
over a year ago

I'm sure you could pay for it privately

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By *allySlinkyWoman
over a year ago

Leeds

It seems very unfair that women under 25 in Scotland and Wales can have them.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"It seems very unfair that women under 25 in Scotland and Wales can have them. "

I’m in scotland. Nope. It’s a blanket rule now. Scotland were the last place to change to 25, but yep.

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By *pursChick aka ShortieWoman
over a year ago

On a mooch

It’s a rule change I find quite frustrating for the younger generation. If you are really concerned though with any changes in that area, go back and insist on one

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately "

Wish I could afford it

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"It’s a rule change I find quite frustrating for the younger generation. If you are really concerned though with any changes in that area, go back and insist on one "

This was me insisting. I asked on Friday, and when my baba had the doctors today I queried again. I had a male doctor who said he doesn’t do them, and booked me for a phone appointment with a female doctor who would know. Meh

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By *hortarseWoman
over a year ago

Norfolk

I start having mine at 21 because I was sexually active that's what my doctor said to me. Try another doctors

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Even though its 25 I got my letter to go aged 24 so hopefully you might get an early invitation next year some point.

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By *est Wales WifeCouple
over a year ago

Near Carmarthen

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it "

You'll have to pay for all treatment soon. The Tories are dismantling the NHS to privatise it.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it

You'll have to pay for all treatment soon. The Tories are dismantling the NHS to privatise it."

Imma die

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By *ady LickWoman
over a year ago

Northampton Somewhere

I'm surprised they said no, given that you have family history.

I'd ring again and tell them that you've been bleeding after sex, it's painful and you're really worried.

Sometimes a little white lie gets you what you want!

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By *andKBCouple
over a year ago

Plymouth

I was the same!

When I was 19 I had about 7 yeast infections in a year and heavy periods. Signs of cancer and for a year I was refused a smear. Turns out it was my pill!!

Then after I had my son I was 23 and I was declined one once again. I had to wait until I was 25

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By *ink Panther.Woman
over a year ago

Preston

Have you had the HPV vaccination? x

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Have you had the HPV vaccination? x"

I have indeed.

I know it seems daft (or does it?) but after doing some snooping, all the other mums my age who have had kids have been able to get a smear test done. One mum was sixteen when she had her baby, and has had one every three years since then.

Meh

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

Apparently more risk of miscarriage of you have one before 25. I had my first smear at 16 and have had 2 miscarriages make of that whatever

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By *ink Panther.Woman
over a year ago

Preston

"Have you had the HPV vaccination? x

I have indeed.

Meh"

Having the HPV vaccine greatly reduces your risk as I’m sure you know. Were you to have a smear test they initially look to see if you are HPV positive. Unless you’re positive no further checks are done on your smear.

As for the hereditary issue that’s concerning you, it has skipped a generation and isn’t therefore considered hereditary. Should your mother have had cervical cancer there is an increased risk whether your gran had it or not.

Now it can take 10 years for the pre cancerous cells to develop into cervical cancer which is part of the reason why the smear test age is 25. Now if a female has had a baby at 16 then it’s logical they were sexually activate much younger than that. This would increase their risk of cervical cancer especially if they weren’t vaccinated against HPV.

I understand why you’d be concerned but you are unlikely to get a GP to agree to a smear test.

However, I don’t know what stage the HPV testing from a urine sample is at or if it’s available privately. You could check that out x

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By *he Queen of TartsWoman
Forum Mod
over a year ago

My Own Little World

You can get home HPV test kits which you do yourself. Worth a Google maybe.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The problem is if clinics/GPs do your smear and then send it for testing the labs won't process it if it's either not due or your too young. A lot of health providers would go ahead but it's a pointless exercise

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Have you tried asking at your local sexual health clinic?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I is my first when I was 18 and they found abnormal cells which who I had removed when I was 21. I dread to think what would have happened if I’d had to wait until I was 25 for my first smear.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

They never should have changed the age. I had my daughter when I was 17 and at the time the age for a smear was 18 or when you have your first child whichever comes first but they changed it just before I had her and they started doing them at the age of 21 and a few months before I turned 21 they changed it to 25! There are so many girls lives that could have been saved if the age had stayed as it was.

I know they used to say that if you were really concerned then they could do a smear younger than 25 but I’ve heard that a lot of the labs check DOB and if under 25 they just dispose of the sample collected

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I start having mine at 21 because I was sexually active that's what my doctor said to me. Try another doctors"

I also had them since 20 but the rules have changed and now not done till 25.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Have you tried asking at your local sexual health clinic? "

They will not do it. As stated above its the labs that won't accept the samples if they don't fit in guidelines

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It’s a very very stupid rule, I think it should be lowered to 18

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I had a vaginal exam the week before my 25th birthday for another issue. By her own admission the GP could have very easily just killed two birds with one stone had I been 25 but nope, had to rebook and face that wretched speculum again the day after my birthday

because apparently a couple of days makes all the difference...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it "

I believe its around £70 to have it done privately

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it

I believe its around £70 to have it done privately "
.

Sorry just looked into it again seems its gone up since I last looked it up to £105

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By *nabelle21Woman
over a year ago

B38

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it "

You shouldn't have to pay..go back, insist. good luck with it

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it "
.

There about £90 if you can afford a Baba you can afford £90 for your peace of mind surely?.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it .

There about £90 if you can afford a Baba you can afford £90 for your peace of mind surely?."

Wish I could.

I’m phoning back tomorrow and am going to speak to another doctor. Asking around, the one I spoke to refused other people as well (I’ve never liked her so just wondered if I was being biased)

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I'm sure you could pay for it privately

Wish I could afford it

You shouldn't have to pay..go back, insist. good luck with it"

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By *adame 2SwordsWoman
over a year ago

Victoria, London

Used to work in cytology (cervical smears), find the pathologist and they do, do private diagnosis. You might be passed around, but they do it.

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By *aeganaWoman
over a year ago

birmingham

Had the same issue hun i was 16 when fell pregnant 17 when gave birth so they refused me smears till i was 25. Was scared as mom had stage 3 cervical cancer and had to have it lasered away luckily that was the worst of it. Went for first smear at 25 had stage 2 cervical cancer luckily through trial meds it went but they really need to lower the age x

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By *unsexual MemelordWoman
over a year ago

Midlothian

That really sucks. Seventeen years ago after I'd first had sex, aged seventeen, the doctor told me I would thereafter be able to get a smear every three years. He said that it was very important for anyone who was sexually active to do, because problematic changes to the cervix etc. are more likely to occur after you begin having sex, whatever your age. Why they have now set such a high minimum age is beyond me, I think more people than not start experimenting around the fifteen/sixteen mark.

Due to the agony of vaginismus, I've only ever managed to have two tests in all the time since he told me that, and despite basically begging for any kind of help in having it done more regularly, doctors have done eff all. Cancer isn't prevalent in my family history, but still, it bothers me a lot. I've no money to go private either, yet docs are just not interested in helping.

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By *icplshropsCouple
over a year ago

Rock

"So when I was pregnant I was told by both my doctor and my midwife that once I had given birth, I could have a smear test (even though I’m only 22). I even asked at the hospital and was told this should be the case.

Stupid rule. Stupid stupid stupid. "

Have you look on the Jo’s trust website? There’s a lot of accurate and up to date information on there regarding having smears, HPV, CIN and cervical cancer. There’s even ‘ask an expert’ feature on there, where you can send a question/s and they aim to email you back within days with the answer, sometimes sooner.

Let me just say a couple of things that have been brought up in this thread.

1. There’s no evidence of a hereditary connection of having cervical cancer. Nor if you’ve previously had ovarian or uterine cancer. However, your risk of unable to fight off HPV increases if you’re in any of the risk groups, i.e. immunosuppressive, smoker, etc.

2. Having a smear before the age of 25, will not increase your risk of miscarriage, but having treatment for CIN, possibly will increase your risk of a premature birth.

3. The reason why smears are not undertaken before the age of 25 is because cervical cells are very changeable in young women and could give a false positive, thus making some women receive unnecessary treatment. Although it is always wise to get any irregular, heavy bleeding (especially after having sex) and any painful sex checked out.

4. If abnormalities were to develop, most will clear on their own in the early stages and if it were to even progress, it takes up to 10-15 years to develop into cancer.

5. The HPV vaccine, namely Gardasil 9 is a very effective vaccine to have and the manufacturers and the FDA in the US, recommends it for both men and women up to the age of 45. Even if you’ve been previously diagnosed if a HPV infection and even though it not marketed as a cure, you still may get coverage for any types you haven’t been exposed to. Although it’s still wise to have smears, as there’s up to 40 or so high risk strains.

I haven’t got time to cite all this information, but you can find most of it on Jo’s website and speaking with the experts. But the most important thing is to keep up with your smears.

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