[smudgie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

I am actually long overdue mine, keep putting it off :/ For some reason it really ****ing hurts me though, others seem to find it uncomfortable but I swear its agony and I bleed for weeks afterwards too. Maybe my nurse is ****..oddly enough, when I have had it done by a (male) doctor, they are much much gentler and I don't get so much pain. Have been avoiding it for ages as when I did try to book with the doctor, I was told it had to be the nurse...I know its important...but it is something easy to talk yourself out of.

Couple of painkillers, opiate based preferable, about an hour before the smear.
Helps you relax and feel less pain.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Are you really going not going to have test because someone on a reality forum told you not to

Well that would be stupid but it's not a secret; I'm sure Vicky will look into it (and the research and outcomes are readily available for anyone who wants to check).

The HPV vaccine exists for a reason. It's to prevent cervical cancer; not to prevent warts.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Well there is always that. You could just do abstinence though Vicky, Jesus would approve. It's why he invented STI's in the first place. To reduce sin.

Well..after 12 years together, 2 kids, a health condition or two and just general tiredness, tbf we pretty much abstain anyway.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Are you really going not going to have test because someone on a reality forum told you not to

...erm, I may come across daft sometimes but no obviously not. But that was new info I had not heard so would look into it, and ask professionals. Was what I meant

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Couple of painkillers, opiate based preferable, about an hour before the smear.
Helps you relax and feel less pain.

I take the equivalent of like 200mg morphine a day presently, would have to literally shoot up or something for opiates to both relax me and take away pain, rather than just lessen it somewhat

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Yes but the rate is far less than practically any other cancer, and we don't routinely screen every part of the body for cancer, we only keep an eye out for the common ones (i.e. breast cancer, testicular cancer, cervical cancer if you have HPV).

Basically, there's no more need to go for the test if you don't have HPV than there is any other rare cancer (which functionally means, no need). The ratio of false-positives (abnormal cells that are not cancer) vs actual cancer found is high enough that the invasive procedures (which increase cancer risk) actually make it MORE likely that you'll get cancer with screening than without, if you don't have HPV.

I beg to differ I know someone who went for a routine smear and a cancerous polyp which are normally benign was picked up, I think what you are writing is extremely dangerous, yes we are not routinely screened for many cancers, although bowel cancer is one that is one the way for over 50s, so and hopefully more screening will be rolled out not less Its interesting that you know so much more than health professionals who trained for many years in their profession

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

I take the equivalent of like 200mg morphine a day presently, would have to literally shoot up or something for opiates to both relax me and take away pain, rather than just lessen it somewhat

I take 240mg a day.
All about the timing Vicky.
Work out where your optimum time after the meds is for less pain.
Won’t totally stop it all but I find it helps with all procedures I have.
Try and get afternoon appointments as well, more stuff in your system.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Well that would be stupid but it's not a secret; I'm sure Vicky will look into it (and the research and outcomes are readily available for anyone who wants to check).

The HPV vaccine exists for a reason. It's to prevent cervical cancer; not to prevent warts.

It is not 100 per cent effective, just like any other vaccine though.


https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-cancer/causes/

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by smudgie

I take 240mg a day.
All about the timing Vicky.
Work out where your optimum time after the meds is for less pain.
Won’t totally stop it all but I find it helps with all procedures I have.
Try and get afternoon appointments as well, more stuff in your system.

I like your style Smudgie

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by smudgie

I take 240mg a day.
All about the timing Vicky.
Work out where your optimum time after the meds is for less pain.
Won’t totally stop it all but I find it helps with all procedures I have.
Try and get afternoon appointments as well, more stuff in your system.

Yeah, I will get round to it. Last time I took a temazapam to make it more bearable :/ Not the answer, but anything to make it easier.

I might actually, have never thought of this before, just book a private appointment for one. I think its like a hundred quid for half an hour, which should be more than long enough. Honestly, with my experience of them I do tend to look for reasons to put it off..which I need to change.

Tbh, apparently I am very high risk for 'female cancers' due to some breast cancer my mother had that is pretty much genetic..something along those lines I remember her telling me when she was diagnosed, that me and my sis are really likely to get the same cancer. SO I really should not put stuff off...possibly more so than others :S

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

...erm, I may come across daft sometimes but no obviously not. But that was new info I had not heard so would look into it, and ask professionals. Was what I meant

should bloody hope so

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Cherie

[/B]

It is not 100 per cent effective, just like any other vaccine though.


https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-cancer/causes/

That wasn't my point either; my point was to illustrate that the vaccine itself was developed specifically to reduce the rates of cervical cancer because it is (practically) the only cause. I fully understand your hesitation to believe someone on a BB forum but I've made the (rare I have to admit!) decision that this one is worth citing... so here you go (useful links for Vicky, too).

"Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV" - US National Cancer Institute

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/...hpv-and-cancer

"The main type of cancer linked to HPV infection is cervical cancer. Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV" - Cancer Research UK

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/abo...hpv-and-cancer


"Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be attributable to HPV infection." - World Health Organisation

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-s...ervical-cancer



"We know for sure that most cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted disease called human papilloma virus, or HPV." - WebMD

https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditi...-should-know#1



"Most types of HPV do not cause cervical cancer. About 13 high-risk HPV types are linked to cancer, with high-risk types 16 and 18 causing most cervical cancers. Overall, nearly all cases of cervical cancer (99.7%) are caused by high-risk HPV." - Cervical Cancer Trust

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/about-ce...ervical-cancer

"Almost all cervical cancer cases occur in women who have been previously infected with HPV" - NHS

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-cancer/causes/

[Cherie]

Nearly, almost...


sorry love I know I said nearly....but you just happen to be in the 1% is it really worth taking the risk? plus as I have said before and you haven't addressed other issues can be detected from the screening so.......

I don't know why anybody bothers with med school given all your knowledge TS learned straight off the net

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Nearly, almost...


sorry love I know I said nearly....but you just happen to be in the 1% is it really worth taking the risk? plus as I have said before and you haven't addressed other issues can be detected from the screening so.......

I don't know why anybody bothers with med school given all your knowledge TS learned straight off the net

The screening is mainly done to* detect early cellular changes caused by HPV and doesn't detect the 0.3% of cervical cancers not caused by HPV. You're free not to believe me Cherie but I chose to cite places like cancer research, the NHS and the WHO for a reason; it's not just "random stuff off the net", and no one has to "believe me" if they care to read the information on those links.

Whether you want to disbelieve the various health organisations is another matter, I suppose?

[user104658]

The only (large) caveat I would add is that the vast majority of sexually active adults do carry HPV.

[Niamh.]

The HPV Vacine is relatively new though isn't it? It's only being offered here in schools in the last couple of years and only to girls although there's talks about getting boys done aswell soon. There is a history of cervical cancer in my family so it's important I get my smears done although I will be talking with my doctor about the HPV next time I'm there, obviously anyway of avoiding smears would be fantastic but I don't know why they wouldn't already have offered that if it was a better alternative, especially since we send our smears to American labs to be tested and there's been problems with back logs here atm

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

The screening is to detect early cellular changes caused by HPV and doesn't detect the 0.3% of cervical cancers not caused by HPV. You're free not to believe me Cherie but I chose to cite places like cancer research, the NHS and the WHO for a reason; it's not just "random stuff off the net", and no one has to "believe me" if they care to read the information on those links.

Whether you want to disbelieve the various health organisations is another matter, I suppose?

To be honest though, I personally was worried that they only test for HPV - when I DID have abnormal cells, I still tested negative for the HPV virus. They still decided to do a procedure that burned the abnormalities away as after several follow ups the cells were still abnormal

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

I don't know why anybody bothers with med school given all your knowledge TS learned straight off the net

My GP goes on google infront of me for medical advice, its bizarre because hes so..against using google for medical advice:

He once went down my neck as I had an issue and said basically that I had read around and think it might possibly be X. Said never search medical stuff online, etc. Then infront of me, in same appointment, put my symptoms into google, and agreed

[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Maybe its not the best choice of name, but changing the name won't change the actual procedure or fear of it or embarrassment which seems to be the case now, given women spend an average of 15 hours in labour with their legs in the air and a host of different people peering up their vagina, I really don't see what the issue is with having a 5 minute minorly uncomfortable procedure? Pap test is even worse in my view

Apparently for some it can be quite painful. That bit of the cervix is well ennervated and the collection is about scraping the cells off so it must be fairly firm to get a good sample. I'd imagine a combination of factors (offputting name, possible pain etc) contribute to insufficient participation.

Anyway, I hope their campaign works.

[Vicky.]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...eening-numbers

Read this and thought of this thread..what a fantastic idea..not available on the NHS apparently but its only about 80 quid. Rather than stressing myself about being hurt again..I think I am very likely to get this (yes, am still putting it off )

[hijaxers]

Originally Posted by smudgie

This test saves lives.

Such a shame that so many women don’t go for screening.
I can understand how some might think it embarrassing, but it’s not as bad as you might think.
Better than ended up with having to go for a vaginal scan etc, plus any treatment needed if you end up with cancer.

How about when you get someone elses results with the same name as you !

I reported immediately as i knew i had not a a test done , they were very apologetic and said they would correct and send me a formal apology ~ That never arrived ! and when i next saw the nurse at the clinic for flu jab i said my test was due and she said ' you had one done 6 mths ago !

Hence i've not gone back and had no test for way too long.
I would like one one the new home tests as i cannot trust my clinic not to cockup !

I would have changed clinic's but i'm not allowed, bloody great situation.

[Livia]

I realised I hadn't had a test for a while... I contacted my surgery who told me I'd had a negative test last year. Not unless they crept in during the night and did it without me knowing. So they said they would have someone would contact me. When I hadn't heard anything a month later I called them again... this time they told me that they don't book the actual appointments, and gave me a London number to ring that took me through to Public Health England. They had no idea why I was calling them, they don't keep records or make appointments and referred me back to the surgery. I had to ask the practise manager to intervene because the reception staff were convinced it wasn't their job to book smear tests.

And they wonder why take-up has fallen.

[Vicky.]

Yeah, the program is not exactly done very well at all. Not much use complaining about takeup when they are giving wrong info out!

[Josy]

My nurse is great when it comes to this tbh always checks during an appointment just to make sure I'm not overdue a test, then the surgery always sends a reminder letter out just before it's due again.

It's quite bad really the amount of women not going for it, my nurse said the percentage of women having it done at our practice is at an all time low :/

We lost my sister in law to cervical cancer a few years back, she was only turned 40 and the scary thing is she had never had an abnormal test result!

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Josy

My nurse is great when it comes to this tbh always checks during an appointment just to make sure I'm not overdue a test, then the surgery always sends a reminder letter out just before it's due again.

It's quite bad really the amount of women not going for it, my nurse said the percentage of women having it done at our practice is at an all time low :/

We lost my sister in law to cervical cancer a few years back, she was only turned 40 and the scary thing is she had never had an abnormal test result!

So sorry Josy about your sister in law. There's a big issue here at the moment which i mentioned earlier where around 4000 women got back false results on their smears and unfortunately it was too late for a few of them.