smear

[nannon]

right - i am 22 and have never hs a smear test - i was written a letter saying i ws due for one about 3 years ago but didnt go.
After my mum telling me and pestering me for ages now, i phoned up my doctors to bbok one and they said that i couldnt have one because i wasn't 23...
I explain about the letter and that i had been on th epill for 7 years...
Anyway she said i could't have one....

Is this right???

[leelapops]

I thought they had lowered the age actually, to 22. Seems odd they won't book you in, especially if you have been sent a reminder. Are there any relevant illnesses that run in your family? Often if this is the case you are entitled to an earlier smear.

[beryllium]

Do you have a well woman clinic near you? and who told you you cant have one? please ask to speak to a doctor.

[nannon]

and now i have just had a phone call back saying if i insist i can have one,. i explained was due on soon, ie tomorrow or day after and should i wait until after it had stopped and she said it was ok for me to go mid cylcle....ewwwww....
what the hell is going on???

[nannon]

oh sorry - this was the bloody receptionist - have asked to speak to doctor and nurse but they said no.
There is no well woman clinic but there is a GUM clinic in the hospital which i believe does them

[dot.hawkes]

thanks for putting this thread up nannon, it has just reminded me that i lad a letter a while ago as i was due a test but i had comletely fogotten the letter! I have now found it and it was dated 12/07/07 and i have just phoned for an appointment, cheers for the reminder, your GP can do a test for you if you are concerned i think.

[archeraddict]

They actually changed the age at which they called a woman in for her first smear to 25, about 2 years ago. some PCTs have their own guidelines, but that is now the national guidleine.
However, in most cases, if a woman really wants to have one, then her Practice Nurse would be prepared to do it. I think that being on the pill for 7 years is a good clinical reason for them to agree to do it out of schedule.

[redcrx]

Mid cycle is between period. ie if your cycle is 28 days from start of period to start of next the mid cycle is around the 14th days after your period has started.

If due on tomorrow mid cycle will be around 5th September

[beryllium]

Give the hospital a call hon, also? they do those tests without giving the info to the gps lol.... test results come to you only.

[Pippa68]

This is all news to me, nannon!

I thought that if you were sexually active and especially if you were on the pill you had to have regular smear tests. I have had them every 3 years since I was 16.

When were the rules all changed?

[nannon]

That is what my mum has said Pippa - she was suprised i have never had one.

The woman on the phone said i could have it done even if i was on my period...i am sure that is not right!

Think i will just call hospital and have it done there!

[archeraddict]

They changed the criteria about 2 years ago. I think they discovered that the few early changes they were finding before 25, it was not 'economic' to do a national screen earlier. However, any concerns before that age then a smear could still be done out of schedule.
As a Practice Nurse, I always used to opportunistically try to persuade patients who were sexually active to have a smear, as I believed it to be very important. Then I had to explain why they were no longer eligible if they were under 25! I still did them though, if the woman wanted and Im sure most nurses would. If you can't get past the receptionist, just say you want a confidential chat with a GP or PN. They have no right to ask why.

[dot.hawkes]

really? the receptionists are not allowed to ask what you want to see the doctor about? I wish somene would tell that lot at my doc's they are like the warders in cell block H

[archeraddict]

.... and NO you can not have a smear whilst you are bleeding - the blood obscures the cellls they are looking for - total waste of time.

[nannon]

oh right ok - thank you i will do that i think. The receptionist was qite rude and i dont really think i needed to explain to her why i wanted one one!! lol!

[nannon]

i think i may call the doector and tell him what the receptionist has said - she shouldnt really be giving out false info!

[archeraddict]

dot. they will always ask, as it is often helpful for the doctor or nurse to have an idea what the consultation is for, as something ( like a smear) may need more time. However, you have every right to say that you don't want to tell the receptionist. No point in being difficult just for the sake of it, but don't be bullied either.

[johnlambert]

Hi Nannon, I've got a funny true story to do with smear tests.
A lady had to go and have that test done so she wanted to look "nice + clean" down there so she washed her bits + pieces with the same flannel her daughter had just used. When she got to the hospital, the Dr + nurses said "Oh my, you have made a special effort to look good today". Not knowing what they meant she sort of laughed it off
It was only when she got home and was recalling the remarks to her daughter that the daughter said, "Oh Mum, thats the flannel I used to wash the glitter off my face that I was wearing last night"


true story,
no names, no pack drill ok?

[nannon]

oh my god johnlambert - do you know my sister??? Thats what she did!!!!!!!!!!