Having these done regularly could save your life. (NHS Cervical Screening Programme)

Member Name: SamPerry

Product:	NHS Cervical Screening Programme
Date:	17/02/09 (143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Detects early signs of pre cancerous cells.

Disadvantages: A little uncomfortable

A cervical smear test is a test that is carried out by your local GP or nurse and is free on the NHS. It is a test that they start doing on girls over the age of 16, or when they become sexually active.

A lot of girls are very scared or worried about the smear test; they find it an embarrassing situation to be in. I know I dreaded having my first one, but the nurse soon put me at ease and it is quite clear that they see hundreds of women so you are no different to anybody else!!

The procedure is performed very quickly and without any pain. Firstly the nurse inserts a speculum and opens it up so that she can see the neck of the cervix. She then removes some cells from the neck of the cervix and puts these onto a glass sheet to be sent off for testing. It's as simple as that, apart from a tiny little bit of discomfort, I find the procedure totally pain free and it is over in a flash. You may experience a slight bit if bleeding afterwards, but again nothing major.

Your sample is then sent off for tests and you usually get the results posted through to your home address within about 2-3 weeks. If the smear is returned as normal then you only have to go and have one every 3 years.

I really can't stress the importance of having regular smear tests, as these tests detect any abnormal cells early, which could develop into cancer if left untreated.

I had a scare about three years ago, I regularly attended my doctors for my smear tests every three years and one year my result cam back as abnormal and I received a letter through the post to say that I had to go to the hospital to have the abnormal cells removed as if left untreated they could develop into cancer.

The few weeks I had to wait for my hospital appointment and the wait for my results to come back were the worst few weeks of my life. I couldnt help thinking the worst and thinking that I had cancer and would never be able to have babies.

To my utter relief the results came back and gave me the all clear, they managed to remove all the abnormal cells. However I now have to have yearly smear tests for the next ten years, just to make sure the abnormal cells don't return.

If I had not been going for regular smear tests then these abnormal cells may not have been detected until it was too late and they may have then developed into cancer and spread across my body.

So, to all you ladies out there make sure you get your smear tests done regularly; it could be a life saver.

Summary: A lifesaver.