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wish they'd leave me alone

Posted , 11 users are following.

Guest
Guest

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

54 Replies

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  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    hi, i can understand how smear tests can be painful and humiliating, but even though your not sexually active, it really is wise to over come your fear and have it done, i didnt go for 6 years and when i did i had pre cancerous cin 3 cells, if i never would have gone, a few years down the line i would highly likely have full blown cancer now and leave my family to suffer the consequences without me, please go , it can save your life.

    regards

    sal

    • ally197
      ally197 Guest

      Posted

      And how exactly can they get the instrument into the body of a person who has never had sex and therefore has no place to put the instrument . I have no family to suffer the consequences as I havent had sex . No sex = no family.  What consequences would anyone else suffer. I would give my stuff away and then die . Yet more emotional blackmail 'poor family '  ... yeah right 
    • julie37508
      julie37508 ally197

      Posted

      Well now, just because you've never been sexually active doesn't mean there is nowhere to put the instrument.  We aren't exactly sealed up down there.  But, if you are having no issues, I think you should be able to say no.  I was beginning perimenopause, and went to a GYN, and never having been sexually active, it was very uncomfortable when she seemingly put her entire fist up inside me.  But, I do think that testing every year, especially for me, is not necessary.
    • eliz52
      eliz52 julie37508

      Posted

      It's not just the comfort factor Julie, false positives are fairly common with pap testing which means women who've never been sexually active are exposing themselves to risk having this test. A false positive can mean a colposcopy/biopsy or over-treatment.

      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
      ally197 julie37508

      Posted

      They couldn't get the instrument in me . As far as I am aware there id no 'hole'
    • eliz52
      eliz52 ally197

      Posted

      Ally, I'm sure you have an opening, but if you've never been sexually active it can be more difficult to insert the speculum or perhaps, you tensed up. Regardless, the test is unhelpful if you've never been sexually active.

      *It's also unhelpful for sexually active women who are HPV- and we can test ourselves for HPV easily and reliably.

    • ally197
      ally197 eliz52

      Posted

      Some people just have no vaginal

      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
      eliz52 ally197

      Posted

      No opening, don't mean to be nosy, ignore my Q if it's too personal: what happens with your menstrual period?

       

    • julie37508
      julie37508 ally197

      Posted

      This would essentially mean you could never have sex then, but believe me, you have an opening.  You wouldn't be able to pee, or have a period, you most likely tensed up a lot, but you can get something in there, girls start wearing tampons at 12, so they go somewhere.
    • ally197
      ally197 julie37508

      Posted

      You don't pee through the opening to your cervix, you pee through the exit

      to your bladder . Hence no opening to my cervix. I wasn't tense ....a regular blood donor like me doesn't get tense.

    • julie37508
      julie37508 ally197

      Posted

      Not trying to argue, but they don't go through the cervix to do the test, they simply do a scrape at the opening, outside it.  The only time they go through is if they are doing a biopsy of the uterus, or ovaries.  So, that is my point.  They don't go through the opening.
    • ally197
      ally197 julie37508

      Posted

      they attempt to go in through the vaginal opening from,the outside of your body . Mine is sealed up as here has been no reason, for it to be open . This is wrong . Anyway cancer doesn't scare mme
    • julie37508
      julie37508 ally197

      Posted

      You wouldn't be able to pee, or have a period, or anything if you had no vaginal opening!  Gah!  Someone, please back me up here!
    • ally197
      ally197 julie37508

      Posted

      In females the urethra is connected to the bladder and that is how they pee. The vagina is connected to the uterus and cervix  which is where babies exit from . There are two separate exits .You can pee without a vaginal opening  as urine exits through the urethra .  .I think you will  find that that nonvirgins have three holes in total including the anus . If someone had periods they wouldnt need anything more than a tiny hole for a vagina would they , but the hole would get bigger when they had sex. however if they didnt have sex it would stay tiny and closed 
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I know exactly how you feel. The same thing happened to me. My GP sent me invitations for 5 years and I never replied. I cannot describe the distress and unhappiness it caused me. Like you, I was a virgin and I did not want to discuss my circumstances/reasons with a doctor and I felt bullied. Ironically, this test that was supposed to be for the good of my health actually ended up damaging my mental health! I advise you not to have smear tests if it causes you to feel so bad. You could write to the screening programme and ask to be ceased, so that they can't send you invitations. Don't let anyone make you feel you have to do something you don't want to. I think your doctor and the NHS is in the wrong, not you.
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