CERVICAL SCREENING (SMEAR TEST): a brief discussion about my experience

I’m going to preface this post by pointing out the fact that I wrote this a while ago. My way of coping with this lockdown is something I honestly don’t even understand yet, I am content and fine but I’m definitely a bit distant from myself... so I wrote this post and then just did nothing with it even though I wanted it to be on my blog, I just didn’t post it yet and I don’t know why. But enjoy, I think it’s such an important thing to know about and to have done and I hope you find this post useful in some way. 

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me post on my stories about getting my cervical screening done for the first time ever last week. Oddly perhaps, this is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time... let me explain myself

In the UK you get your first cervical screening age 25, you wait for a letter from the NHS, then book in at your GP. I got my letter in December and booked in literally a week before I had it, turns out you don’t have to be 25, you just have to be nearly 25 and have received the letter. 

I think the age limit is slightly ridiculous, the screening is so so important, not only for peace of mind that you’re healthy but to check you have no abnormalities or growths, and therefore to prevent cervical cancer. 

In my opinion, the test should be encouraged from age 18, like it is in lots of other countries. If you’re sexually active, you should be getting the screening. 

So I was excited about getting my screening done, which a lot of people thought was weird, but this excitement was due to the fact I know it’s so important, and that I’ve had to wait so long for it. I still might sound a bit silly for being excited but there you go that is why. 

Now, let’s talk about the actual screening. It is over so unbelievably quickly and is barely even uncomfortable, it just feels a bit weird. You go in, undress from the waist down (I intentionally wore a dress), you lie down, ankles together and knees bent outwards, they put the apparatus inside you, open it up, take a swab and then remove. The whole time it was being explained to me and the practitioner was chatting to me throughout. Honestly the most difficult thing was wearing my mask because I couldn’t see anything since I was lying down. It was so quick and easy, it was honestly over within 5 minutes at most. 

So if you’re due to have a cervical screening and you’re apprehensive, I can honestly assure you it is nothing to worry about. If you have any questions about my experience feel free to DM me on Instagram and I’ll honestly tell you anything! 

IWx