The Importance of a Smear/Pap Test - Let's get to this!
I'll be completely honest with you in this post as I think this topic is so so important. Knowing how important it is, I still took a year to actually pluck up the courage and book it. I just hate visiting the nurse, probably because I had quite a few blood tests growing up! UGH!
My letter came through a month or so before turning 25. I'm almost 26, I had mine done just 2 months ago. I kid you not, the Doctors surgery sent me around 10 letters and I threw each and every single one away. How ignorant? How silly?
I guess I was just scared that they'd find something. I read about this topic a lot in the Media, and even though the message was always to get it out of the way so if there was anything to be concerned about, they could treat it quickly, I still chose to be stubborn.
I had a bunch of friends who had worrying experiences as well as friends who were completely fine. I guess I just expected the worse.
I finally booked it.. the day had come. I was in there for all of 5 minutes for the Nurse to take the swab and check my cervix out. I won't lie, I was slightly uncomfortable but the moment you just breathe and relax, you don't feel a thing! The nurse was so lovely, she kept me talking so it took my mind off it.
I was lucky enough to have a normal result. All that worrying for nothing! I will have my next one at the age of 28. Smear tests are done from the age of 25-64.
You might be thinking, OK Alisha.. too much info now! But it is so important to cause awareness of this subject.
I had a few lady friends of mine write a little something on their experiences just to show you how different everyone's experience can be and how important it is to attend the appointment.
"My first smear test was in October 2013 after I had put it off for months - my results came back stating that there were abnormal cells in my cervix.
November 2013 - I had 2 biopsies taken and I recieved my results in Jan 2014.
It came back that I had CIN2 precancerous cells. As I was getting married in the April, they booked me for a LLETZ treatment at the end of January - not a particularly pleasant experience. I had a follow up smear in August 2014 and was given the all clear completely. It is now July 2015 and I am pregnant with my first child. At 16 weeks I was monitored under the hospital for checks on my cervix to make sure that it didn't open early as this can potentially be a problem having the LLETZ treatment. I was given the all clear and so far have had a dream of a pregnancy, I get to meet my little one in August as sometimes i do think would it have affected the baby or would i be in a worse state now if i had ignored it. For the sake of a 2 second swab, its totally worth getting checked out." - Melissa
"I always dreaded the day I had to go for my first smear, I was so nervous about it. However when I got there the nurse could see How nervous I was and explained the procedure to me and kept me relaxed throughout. She chatted the whole way through and kept me distracted and it was over in seconds.. I barely even noticed what was happening! Yes the thought of it is horrible, but it could detect a problem and ultimately save your life." - Roxanne
"I had my first smear test during a routine appointment with my family planning nurse and the procedure took a grand total of 5 minutes if that! When my results came back, it had been discovered that there was a small abnormality on my cervix caused by the HPV Infection (the one they now vaccinate girls for at school). Due to the HPV infection, I was referred to my local hospital for a procedure called a colposcopy, basically a closer look at my cervix! I had a small biopsy taken, the results came back all clear and I didn't have to have a smear for another 3 years!
Don't let your fear of what your doctor is going to think of 'down there' put you off booking an appointment! It is something that they have to do everyday, they are not there to judge, they are just there to take a swab and that's it! It's always better to have your mind at rest than to never know " - Laura
GO GET YOUR LADY AREA CHECKED OUT!!
Lotsa love Leesh of UnLeeshd x x x
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