Hello, I don't usually post on forums but I wanted to share my experience with the hope it can help others 
I chose to do my smear test on a day when I was off work, I'm so glad I did as I found the experience quite emotional afterwards.
Its been a few hours since I had my 1st Smear Test and I personally found it really really painful. My Nurse 1st used the 'standard speculum' which caused alot of excruciating pain, I'm not sexually active (which may be a factor into why it was so painful). She then swapped it for a 'smaller speculum' which wasn't as painful and she was able to get a sample.
My advise would be for anyone who isn't sexually active, let your Nurse know beforehand (wish I did!) and request having a 'smaller speculum' as I found this worked alot better for me.
Hello93, I feel uneasy about your need to share an experience that you could have spared yourself as a virgin and could have declined as cc screening is optional in the UK. It is a well known fact that cc is extremely rare in virgins and rare in sexually active women. You run a much higher chance of having investigations for something harmless.
As for the nurse should do a refresher course on medical ethics. You should have been asked if you had ever been sexually active and have it explained that this might be particularly painf. Further, what the gains from tests in virgins are (there are no statistics on cc in virgins). You should also have been told that your surgery has a conflict of interests and will try to get anyone screened regardless just to hit their targets.
I think the leaflets that come with the invitation for screening should be redone from a scratch.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experiences Hello93 I am sure others will find those tips really helpful.
I just wanted to give some information about who cervical screening is for. Everyone between the ages of 25 to 64, with a cervix, is eligible to attend cervical screening. It is your choice to attend or not. Cervical screening is a test to check the cells of our cervix for changes that could have been caused by high-risk HPV. HPV is passed on through skin-to-skin contact including: vaginal, anal and oral sex, touching in the genital area and sharing sex toys. You are at risk of getting HPV from your first sexual contact, whatever that is – it doesn’t have to be sex that involves putting part of your body into someone's vagina, anus or mouth (penetrative sex). Anybody who has ever had any kind of sexual contact is at risk of getting HPV. I hope that helps.
If anyone is unsure about attending cervical screening please know you can talk through any concerns with your practice nurse.
With my best wishes,
Meghan
