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Do I really need a smear test?

Posted , 3 users are following.

sue1309
sue1309

Hi guys...I'm new here and I just wanted to make sure of something.  I am 58 and I've been a widow for 10 years.  No sexual activity since then and for 3 or 4 years before that.  I had a hysterectomy in 1998 but I still have my cervix.  My smear test before that was clear.  Terrified!!!!

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • eliz52
    eliz52 sue1309

    Posted

    Hi Sue

    I'll bet you're HPV- and wasting your time having a smear test and worse than that, you expose yourself to risk, the smear is even more unreliable in post/ menopausal women, so a false positive is more likely and that can mean excess colposcopy/biopsy etc.

    Only about 5% of women aged 30 to 60 are HPV+, these are the only women with a small chance of being helped by a 5 yearly smear test.

    HPV- women are not at risk of cc and cannot benefit from smear testing. (that's 95% of women aged 30 to 60!)

    Smear testing can be very painful too after menopause

    If you're HPV- as I suspect and you're no longer sexually active you can forget about cc and this testing and get on with your life.

    I'm 58 next month and don't have smear tests, HPV- women cannot benefit...

    It's disgraceful that they keep trying to drag all women into this testing, it's all so unnecessary.

    In the Netherlands they have a self-test device called the Delphi Screener, you might be able to order that online, it's reliable and easy to use. It will give important information: HPV- or HPV+

    The new Dutch program is 5 HPV primary tests or HPV self-testing at 30,35,40,50 and 60 and a 5 yearly smear test will ONLY be offered to the roughly 5% who test HPV+

    This will save more lives and takes most women out of smear testing and harms way.

    Kind Regards

    Elizabeth

    • yvonne81394
      yvonne81394 eliz52

      Posted

      Hi Eliz, I have a question.  Can't you be HPV- currently and still develop cc due to the fact that you could have been positive years ago and things were set in to motion causing the chain of events before the virus went in to it's dormancy? 
    • eliz52
      eliz52 yvonne81394

      Posted

      Hi Yvonne

      No, HPV- and you can't benefit from smear tests. Of course, you can be infected if you take a new partner so with new HPV testing programs women will be offered 5 (under the Dutch program) probably ten under our proposed new program, this is to cover the risk of a new infection.

      HPV- and no longer sexually active women though might choose to stop testing.

      Women who find the speculum exam painful etc. can self test easily and reliably for HPV.

       

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