Hello guys
I have had been avoiding smear test for many years. I ended up doing it in 2019 first attempt was bad due to anxiety second attempt 2022 tried smaller speculum still did not manage to complete. Cannot handle pain.
I have tried home test for hpv in 2021 and came as negative do I do it again or do it after 3 years as home test does not replace smear test.
Can anyone refer me to which hospital or gp does offer anaesthesia for smear test?
Please suggest guys what to do?
Thank you
Hi Bhoomisha and welcome
If you do another HPV home test 3 years after your last one that would be the same as what you would get from the NHS, given that you were HPV negative just last year. The NHS only do further tests (check the cells) on your smear sample if you test positive for HPV.
I’m sorry you struggle with smear tests as did I. Unfortunately I stopped getting smears after the age of 50y only to be diagnosed with cervical cancer 10 years later. It’s good that you are persevering to get tested.
Regarding getting a smear test with anaesthesia I suggest contacting your GP for advice. Another option might be to ask for your smear to be done at a Colposcopy clinic where the staff are gynae specialists and have a range of equipment which should enable a more comfortable procedure.
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Hello jaZZ
Does that mean for home test u do every 3 years. But it does say it does not replace the smear test?
I do know if any test are reliable or not ?
The home test sample, unlike the smear test sample, is not suitable for checking your cells. So if your home test result comes back as HPV positive you would then need to get a smear test done.
If your home test result is HPV negative then, following NHS guidelines, you would do another home test in 3 years. You can continue in that way all the time you test negative for HPV.
No test is 100% reliable, not even NHS ones. One way to reduce the risk of a missed diagnosis is to do more tests. For example you could self check once a year or every 2 years.
Disclaimer, I’m not an expert.
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Thanks for the advice
I went yesterday the nurse was rude and she said some things which has scared me.
M feeling so scared.
I’m so sorry the nurse wasn’t very helpful; I know the NHS is often under a lot of pressure but there’s no place for rudeness. I think some health professionals think scaring a patient might motivate them to get a test or treatment; that might work sometimes but it can also be counter productive.
I’m wondering if you might benefit by seeing a women’s health physiotherapist (WHP)? There can be a number of reasons for experiencing intolerable pain with smear test e.g. vaginismus. You could ask your GP for a referral. I saw a WHP a few years ago because I’d had a long history of anxiety/pain around vaginal issues; it was a relevation to able to talk with a specialist who understood and didn’t judge me plus I got very helpful practical/psychological advice.
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@Jazza @Bhoomisha
It simply isn’t the case that the NHS only do further investigation following an abnormal smear.
I was referred for an ultrasound because I had abnormal bleeding, not because of a smear test.
Xx
Hi Lally
Yes, I concur that the NHS offers further investigations where a patient has symptoms. I was fast tracked for a hysteroscopy because of abnormal bleeding.
Apologies if there are any ambiguities in my comments on this thread.
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