Okay, let’s talk about smear tests. They can feel scary, the can feel embarrassing and they’re very easy to put off but it’s so important that we go to our smear tests when we get the letter.
Having IBD, two stoma surgeries and countless colonoscopy’s, I’m used to the embarrassing doctors appointments and let me tell you this, it’s never as bad as you think it will be. Doctors and nurses are used to seeing everything and will make you feel comfortable in your appointment.
What are smear tests & why are they so important?
I’ll keep this bit brief as the NHS website can explain it much better than me. A smear test is where a sample of cells is taken from the cervix (the opening of the womb) and you’re checked for abnormal cells which can lead to conditions such as cervical cancer. It’s not a cancer check, but it’s important as if abnormal cells are found, they can be removed before they become malignant.
If you’re a similar age to me, then you might have had the HPV vaccination. I had mine when I was 12/13 and honestly didn’t really know what I was having it for.
A lot of people think that if they’ve had the HPV vaccination, having your smear test isn’t important but IT IS. The nurse who did my test was saying that the vaccination only covers a few variants of HPV which is why you still need to get tested.
What happens during your smear test?
The nurse doing your cervical screening will be really considerate when you have your test. It’s intimate so they’re very aware of making you comfortable. They’ll ask if you want someone with you and whether it’s okay to lock the door.
Then they’ll go through your medical history and explain what’s going to happen. My nurse was lovely and she was really considerate of my health conditions too.
If you’ve ever had to have an internal ultrasound, I can confirm that your smear test won’t be as bad as that. In fact, I was surprised at how quick it was. I was in and out in 20 minutes, and most of that was me chatting to the nurse. The actual smear test was maybe a minute or two.
I’m going to leave Zoella’s video where she took you into her cervical screening. I watched this before I had mine and it made me feel a lot less anxious about it.
Stoma’s, IBD & Smear Tests
I was slightly worried about my smear test for so many reasons. I’m an anxious person!
One of my concerns was that I’ve had a total proctectoctomy which means I’ve had my total large bowel and anus removed. Which means I’ve had a lot of surgery near the vagina is and I was nervous about that affecting it. It didn’t, but the nurse was really reassuring and used a smaller speculum.
I also have bad joints which means I have very stiff hips and back. I was having a bit of a bad day that day fibromyalgia wise which the nurse was aware of. Because we went through my notes, we discussed this and she helped make it more comfortable.
Tips for your first smear test
The biggest tip is wear a midi-skirt. It means you don’t have to get undressed, just take of your knickers and hike your skirt up. It feels a lot less invasive that when you have to take jeans off. It’s a small thing but it really helps.
Doing pelvic floor exercises really helped me relax my joints easier. It meant I could get a bit comfier joints wise once I had the examination (thank you to Abbie from @cheerfullylive for that tip)
Asking for a smaller speculum is really useful. I didn’t have to do that, as the nurse had decided due to my surgeries to do that.
Breathe and try and relax as much as you can. It’s hard because its an uncomfortable situation but breathing and relaxing makes it a lot easier for them to take the smear test.
I hope you’ve found this post useful and interesting. Remember, booking your smear test is so important so if you’ve been putting it off, see this as a sign to book it! If you’re nervous about how your chronic illness might affect it, talk to your nurse or doctor because they’ll be able to help and make you feel more comfortable.
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