wish they'd leave me alone
Posted , 11 users are following.
I've had a few smear tests and they were painful and humiliating.
As I've never been sexually active they were also pointless which I didn't know at the time. Now I refuse to go.
I didn't want to have to discuss my reasons with my GP as it's none of his business but I have had to write to them to tell them why I do not want a smear test because when I just ignored the letters I was removed from my GP's list without being told.
They still keep sending me letters although I have given them my reasons and I feel frankly bullied.
I wish they would treat people as individuals not specimens in a jar and respect our wishes when they are reasonable.
4 likes, 54 replies
Guest
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regards
sal
ally197 Guest
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julie37508 ally197
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eliz52 julie37508
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Now the evidence has moved on and only those sexually active women who are HPV+ should be offered a 5 yearly pap test, that about 5% of women aged 30 to 60 and you can test yourself for HPV reliably and easily.
MOST women are HPV- and cannot benefit from pap testing. (but can be harmed!)
The new Dutch program is the best in the world for those who wish to test, 5 HPV tests or HPV self-testing at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and only the roughly 5% who are HPV+ are offered a 5 yearly pap test.
This will save more lives and takes most women out of pap testing seeing excess biopsy and over-treatment rates plummet. (not good news for vested interests)
I doubt Australian or American women will ever see an evidence-based program, too much money is made from excess. Screening tests should always be independently assessed and reviewed and move with the evidence and always respect our legal right, informed consent - to accept or decline as we see fit.
As a low risk woman I have always declined, now I understand HPV- women cannot benefit.
The Aussie program would have screened me 2 yearly from 18 about 26 tests in total - the lifetime risk of cc is 0.65%, the lifetime risk of colposcopy and biopsy under our program is a huge 77%
We'll finally change our program next year, more and more women are getting to the evidence so the misinformation is not getting enough women through the screening door, but we'll still side with excess and continue to put barriers around self-testing.
I think more and more women will choose to walk away from the program, follow the evidence, and do what's best for them.
ally197 julie37508
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eliz52 ally197
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*It's also unhelpful for sexually active women who are HPV- and we can test ourselves for HPV easily and reliably.
ally197 eliz52
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opening. I wasn't tense. Humans
differ. I was a regular blood donor
until recently so I can relax when a
needle goes in and I know I am
saving a life
eliz52 ally197
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julie37508 ally197
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ally197 julie37508
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to your bladder . Hence no opening to my cervix. I wasn't tense ....a regular blood donor like me doesn't get tense.
julie37508 ally197
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ally197 julie37508
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julie37508 ally197
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ally197 julie37508
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Guest
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