Hi all,
im 22 and today I asked my family planning clinic if they can do smears for under 25s and to my astonishment they said YES. When asked if id like to arrange an appointment I hung up in shock. I don't know whether to go for it or not. I don't have symptoms (other than a funny feeling I've had in my abdomen for a while but its probably my bladder so I'm not worried about this) so I don't know whether to get one now or wait til I'm 25 like everybody else. I could've contracted HPV in my teenage years as I didn't have the vaccine til later. I've been with the same partner for nearly 5 years now and we want to settle down and buy our first house and start a family so the sensible part of me is screaming do it now in case you are developing something but then again I keep thinking I'm just being paranoid and if I get an abnormal result i will make myself ill with worry! Advice please ladies, do I do it now or wait? I don't want unneccesary treatment. I've heard that 1 IN 3 smears for women under 25 comes back as abnormal so I'm in a dilemma. I need to make a decision!
PS I know I've posted a similar topic before so I do apologise but now is decision time!
UPDATE
I rang the clinic again today to ask again and this time they said they can only do it in exceptional circumstances. Moderators please feel free to remove this topic. :(
Hi, although I don't really have an answer I didn't want to read and run!
My first thought is that we have all seen cases of young women in the news who had cervical cancer. But in every case I've seen these are women who've been to their doctor numerous times with symptoms - bleeding, severe pain, etc. So unless you're having these symptoms I'm wondering why this is troubling you so much. Are you sure your health issues are with your waterworks? Have you been thoroughly checked out by your gp? Make sure your gp is sympathetic to your concerns and is getting to the bottom of anything that's going on here.
Mandy xx
Hi, thank you for your reply. To be honest with you I dont know for sure that my problems stem from my water works. The next course of action for me is to go to my gp to see if I need it looking at. I don't know why im so worried, I've just convinced myself that I could've picked up HPV before I had the vaccine, which I know sounds silly. I just want to be on the safe side but I've tried to get a smear and it just isn't happening so I'll go back to my gp regarding the symptoms I do have and take it from there. Thank you xx
Best of luck! Always listen to your body and never leave any symptoms - you're doing the right thing
Mandy xx
