How is it that in 2014 the only option to detect cervical cancer is by having a smear?

The link has been approved so thanks for that. I am only on page one and am laughing already. I also liked the assumption all smears will be carreid out by men (chaperone)! Was this printed in 2009 or 1949? Now the comfortable and safe enviroment, a couch the size of a plank of wood and the door unlocked. Was not offered the laying on the left side option...........I will have to carry on reading this once I have been out to buy some wine and popcorn. 

hi annaporter thanks for the link i only hope it will soon be available in bournemouth, i did ask my gp a few months ago if there was any chance of me having a self testing kit she told me it was not available in bournemouth. at least there is some hope for those of us who are at high risk.

Thank you for posting this link, it is great to see that things are changing and that there is hope for women who find these tests a real ordeal. It is frustratingly slow progress, though, when this information has been around for years. Why don't they just offer women the choice of a smear or the HPV self test kit? I am sure over 95% of women would choose the HPV self test kit, and be prepared to pay for it too.

dear anneporter i am so sorry that you are not well but find the energy to

keep us informed of all the info you have managed to gather.

i and i am sure all on this thread are very grateful.

hope your health improves soon

Shirley, nice of you to post that, but I didnt do much, just looked up what others were talking about.  Not fit for much at the minute.  The Delphi Screener sounds good, why not here???  Also I cant believe we aren't automatically given the HPV test.  Surely it makes more sense, and would save the NHS money.  

I have found this NHS document to shed some light on when we may be getting HPV tests in England. I won't do a link as takes some time to be moderated, but it is easily downloaded from the web. Google: Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer Third annual report.

You can download the PDF from NHS England and if you turn to page 36 it says:

4.42 HPV Testing as Primary Screening (HPV TaPS)

The UK National Screening Committee has given its support for a pilot to assess the value of using HPV TaPS for cervical disease, rather than the currently used cytology test. The pilot programme began in May 2013 and is now operating at six sites: Liverpool; Manchester; Northwick Park (Harrow); Bristol; Sheffield; and Norwich. This is potentially a huge changeto the programme, so the pilot will run for at least three years in order to determine a safe and practical pathway for the programme. A formal evaluation of the pilot will take place and, if results show it is successful, we will roll out HPV TaPS across England, probably from 2017/18. Cancer Research UK have estimated that, when fully implemented, HPV TaPS could prevent an additional 600 cancer a year.

If Cancer research UK thinks it will save about 600 cancers per year, not rolling the programme out until 2017-18 will mean about 1800 cancers will occur unnecessarily between now and then.

Thanks, have M.E. going thru bad spell will look at this when able. Anne

Northwick Park is my local hospital and I have heard nothing about this. Still having to undergo excruciating painful smears, one due sometime next year, doubt I can face it

I'm sorry to hear yet another woman is going through this. If I know someone who would act on all this I would send the thread on to them.

Just got a letter calling me for a test, speculum - am in tears.

Being tested for a vaginal infection on Monday, now been told will use a speculum to take swabs for that. Crying

Why oh why did I seek help with the infection

You dont use a speculum to take swabs, a swab is a tiny Q tip with a longer "handle". I have had many of these, all done myself in the surgery. Ask if you can insert it yourself, while they wait on the otherside of the curtain. I am sure a speculum is very unnesesary . Can you phone up and ask why they are using that? Sounds very strange.

According to my GP the specialist does it that way

Rang them, yes we do it that way, speak to consultant when see her Monday, don't stress and have a good weekend. Are they for real or do they just not care

They dont care so it seems. Stand up for your human rights, if you cant tolerate the speculum then say so and request just the Q tip. There is no good reason for using the equipemnt they want to just to get a sample. When I did mine I asked how far do I need to put it in, and was told not far, so even if they need a sample from higher up there is still no need for a speculum. How about rignjmning the specialist's office and requesting a call back before the appointment?  No need to go into great detail with the nosy secretary either. Stand up for yourself and good luck.

I spoke to a consultant, not sure if mine as had no letter only a phone call to give a date and time plus a few brief details. They said have to do it this way as need samples from higher up and do not want them contaminated on way out. In other words your dirty, even though is an infection not an STI, and not worthy of consideration.

I'm sorry, this makes no sense to me. Just how many infections do they think you have, and even if you did have a few,  today's modern labs can surely detect them all? They grow the cultures in the lab which would surely show for example you had thrush and BV. I hope someone else comes on to help you out, this is beyond me. 

It seems to have something to do with the fact that they don't grow the cultures but use a wet slide technique, swab wiped straight on it and then looked at straight away under the microscope so immediate diagnosis.

It is BV, thrush and candida they are looking for as certainly the first has apparantly resisted all treatment so far, need to check treating for right thing.

Well you have the right to choose where you are treated, so if this really is too much for you to stand find out where they use just the swab. You will have to go back to your GP though.

Think will explore that route.

Never told could be another way so thanks.

I don't know much about this, but speculums come in different sizes, and there is one very small one used for children. Insist they start off with this one. I had this one used on me, and saw it was about the size of a pair of tweezers. I know this is often used on women, as I've seen other women posted that they had this one. Sorry you have to wait the whole weekend for this, but I hope Monday goes much better than you think it might. As Mrs D says, stand your ground and do tell them about your concerns. There are some good people out there who are very gentle and who do care. Good Luck.

On my call up got two days ago for cervical screening letter said be HPV tested, thought great until read rest of letter which said samples will be collected the same way as before, if not HPV+ sample not tested more. In other words we will still use a speculum but only part test unless HPV+ and if find it traumatic or painful TOUGH

Beyond any pain I have ever had, made me scream. The infection is back so got to go through it again, but will refuse to see that Dr again

I booked to see the nice practice nurse on Monday and asked if I could do the test myself. She used a medium speculum, she suggested pushing it in sideways which I did. When it came to opening the thing, even though I was operating it I cried out in pain too, it was barely open. She put in the brush and said I would experience cramping. She said it was 50/50 whether she had gathered enough cells plus I have to wait a month for results. By letter, good or bad. I will never be having another one. They use ultrasound and a scanner to look at man bits yet we have to experience a medieval instrument of torture.

Getting it in is always the problem and it is that which causes the pain

Can you ask or insist that you do it yourself, there is no good reason why you can't. Plenty of KY, leave you alone until you do it, and use the smallest one they have. Stand up for your rights, it's because we don't they think they can do anything they like to us.

Thanks, will try that. This was not my own GP will do it with her next time as listens and sees human beings not just patients

She should be understanding then of your pain and anxiety. If she says you may not position it right or any other excuse ask if you can give it a go and if its positioned wrong you can move it. You know which way if any your cervix points better than anyone so you will know how to position it. Good luck x

She knows I like to research so happily gives me print outs, photocopies of medical articles, internet links and search terms etc. Prefers pro-active patients she tells me as they live with things so know what suits them, whereas she just treats them. Unusual GP

All I know about my cervix is it has a kink in and is difficult to find or so I was told by my previous GP who retired a year ago.