Choice

An interesting thought but clearly lacking a little medical expertise. The smear test is useful to all women not just those of child bearing age. A visual check can also be useful for those women who have had a hysterectomy. However the issues raised other than anxiety relate to the propoganda of the NHS screening process - who is invited, how and when. This is politically and economically motivated rather than simply care of women's health. For example the NHS will not remove your name from the smear test list if you decide you will refuse or go private and not pass on the results. This means your GP or nurse will badger you - although this is called preventive care. Finally, there is a lack of solid presentable evidence on the personal worthiness of testing - too much common good.

My original post was placed in a thread in a response to a woman who had discussed the traumatic experience of having a smear in light of a history of sexual abuse - not sure why it ended up here. My point that it was rather sickening to see people pounce on this issue to express their own rather screwy (non medical!) political views. I've never heard such nonsense and the patronising tone/ forcefulness of your views is as bullying as the 'smear campaigns' you're clearly so paranoid about.

I didn't realise that you had to have medical expertise to post here - I wonder if you do! Rather amusingly I am a medical sociologist and spend my working life researching health, illness and health care so you're way off the mark there also! I am appalled that a forum where women come to discuss concerns about the smear test would be used to disuade many from going. I suggest you take your personal hang ups else where and stop pretending they are politically motivated!

Ripepear

Do you consider it appropriate to threaten to remove a woman from the GP practice list for not cooperating with screening? Because if you actually bother to read the whole forum, you'll find that's happened to several women here (myself included). Does that sound like \"choice\" to you?

\"I am appalled that a forum where women come to discuss concerns about the smear test would be used to disuade many from going\"

Do you know what actually dissuades women from screening? Being given no information about what they're actually agreeing to, being treated badly and then having arrogant idiots shout them down when they complain, or try to question what they've been told. Cervical screening was moved very suddenly from start age 20 to age 25 because apparently it was \"damaging\" more young women than it helped. I was part of the original age 20 cohort - don't remember being told anything about any risk in being screened at that age. Perhaps as a \"medical sociologist\" you can explain why either:

1) young women weren't deemed fit to have the risks of screening explained to them and/or

2) why a bl**dy screening programme was put in place (with commensurate bullying of any woman that didn't want to cooperate) without appropriate trialling to establish risks beforehand.

You're all for women expressing their concerns it seems...until some of them actually express some concerns, at which point you panic. And if you want women to cooperate - try running the ruddy service properly for a start.