#cervical smear

[thetriumphantpanda]

This is a PSA for anyone with a cervix (tw: medical, smear tests, gynaecology)

If you’re old enough to have a cervical screening… please do it. Mine recently came back with some nasty looking cells. I’ve had a follow up biopsy which, whilst unpleasant, was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, and thankfully it looks like I’ll be okay… but just… please go if you can - the short amount of time you spend being uncomfortable is worth it to catch things early if there’s anything wrong

[slicedblackolives]

POONAM PANDEY ????

[dykeboychewtoy]

my future surgeon during my pre-consult: removing the cervix during a hysterectomy is usually a good idea: it doesn't impact the structure, function, or depth of the vaginal canal, it reduces cancer risk, you'd never have to get a pap smear again...

what I'm desperately struggling not to say out loud: but what if I really like the weird mix of pleasure and discomfort and slight nausea that happens when someone bottoms out in me and manages to actually hit my cervix. what then, doc? wait what if there was a way for monster tops to wombfuck me without me having a womb is that surgically possible -

[scotianostra]

Janet Elizabeth Macgregor was born on January 12th 1920 in Glasgow.

Born as Janet Elizabeth McPherson at Lynedoch Place in the cities Hillhead area, you may not have heard of Janet, but in her work she has no doubt saved countless lives as a pioneer of cervical screening.

Betty, as she became known, attended school at Bearsden Academy, going on to study medicine at the University of Glasgow during the Second World War, graduating in 1943.

Betty Macgregor was the cytologist who made northeast Scotland the United Kingdom's first centre for systematic cervical screening. It was because of her published results that screening was taken up throughout the country.

She published important papers on many aspects of screening, including cervical cytology, the epidemiology of cervical cancer, improving the prognosis, cost effectiveness, cervical abnormalities in various subgroups of women, and the problems of false negative results. Her booklet Taking Uterine Cervical Smears, published by the British Society of Clinical Cytology, sold 25 000 copies.

It was not a period when priority was given to such a lengthy and complex medical programme: politicians had other demands on public funds. It was the way Macgregor organised the tests that brought the programme so much renown. Everything was meticulously documented and recorded with great care and attention. After five years she had assembled such powerful scientific evidence that other health authorities throughout the UK immediately adopted her system.

She retired to Isle of Seil. She died of cerebrovascular disease on 8th October 2005 at the Lynn of Lorne Nursing Home, Benderloch, near Oban.

You can find out more about this life saving woman here

[thegaylink]

I hate TikTok because I made a video saying that the fact that the only way to detect cervical cancer was to pry open the vagina and swab is ridiculous, and said there should be more options. And if we really cant get any other options, at least find a way to do biopsies through the skin like you would a liver or Lung biopsy for people who experience traumatic events and/or SA and cannot do vaginal exams and i got ATTACKED in the comments saying i was "so fucking dumb" and "dramatic". One person said that we had a system that works and "they have more important things to worry about" and it just goes to show that people really do not care about people the way they should. You should WANT other people to have good medical experiences. You should WANT people to have a positive relationship with medicine and doctors. You should want people to have OPTIONS when it comes to their health! One person said I was "embarrassing myself" after I said "options are so incredibly important, especially when dealing with procedures like this" and I genuinely cannot fathom how caring about other people is considered "embarrassing." It is not unreasonable to say that in this day and age, with how technology and medically advanced we've gotten, we should have more than one method to screen for cervical cancer in AFAB individuals.

[snackerdoodle]

(Inspired by this post, but separate to avoid derailing.)

I’m going to get more personal here than I would really like to, but I know a lot of other people have had awful gynecologist experiences, and I hope sharing both the negative and positive experiences could help.  

I have had three Pap smears. The first two were traumatic, not in a hyperbolic way but in an “I cried about them to my therapist when trying to face the idea of having to get another one and she specifically called it medical trauma” kind of way. 

For me, they were extremely painful, and I was told “no it isn’t,” both by the doctors in the moment and by everything I was able to look up about Pap smears afterwards. Counterintuitively, I was also told that if it was painful, it was because I was doing something wrong. The only people I saw saying Pap smears hurt were other women who had had terrible gynecologist appointments and who were also planning on never going back.

After my first experience, I did what you are supposed to and warned my next doctor that my last experience was painful. Some warning signs that I should have left and found a different doctor include that she acted inconvenienced by that idea, and then was actively annoyed by my admission that I’d never had penis-in-vagina sex, because that would presumably have made it easier to insert the speculum. I went through with the procedure with her anyway, and she somehow couldn’t reach my cervix at first and guilted me for it while actively rooting around in my vagina. I felt like I had to go through with it once it had started, but I kind of wish I had exercised my rights and called it quits. Which is something you can absolutely do. If you’re uncomfortable with the way your doctor is talking to you, or if you think something is going wrong and your doctor is ignoring your needs, you can call off the whole thing and go somewhere else.

Aside from the physical pain and misplaced blame, in both of my bad experiences I was explicitly told that part of the problem was that I wasn’t having “real sex” (referring, of course, to penis-in-vagina sex). If anyone ever asks, I will confidently tell them that the most homophobic experiences I’ve had have been in the gynecologist’s office. 

After years of being nagged by my primary care doctor and multiple therapy appointments, I researched my options and was able to find a specifically LGBTQ+ aligned clinic. In my research, I also found that, while gynecologists seem to understand and discuss the need for trauma-informed practice, it is hard to find gynecologists who describe themselves as trauma informed.

At my third Pap smear, I explained my past experiences to the doctor. After listening, the doctor gave me a list of options that could suit a variety of comfort levels. These included a traditional Pap smear, the doctor trying to swab my cervix without using a speculum, and me self administering the test in private, also without a speculum. I chose the last one, and she gave me a swab and detailed instructions on what to do. The only risk to this approach was the possibility that I might not get a usable sample. In that case, I would have to come back to the office to try again. I was able to get a usable sample on the first try, and it was so quick and easy that I’m honestly baffled that this isn’t how Pap smears are usually administered.

Some green flags at this appointment included that I was given space to explain my past experiences, I was not criticized or judged for those experiences, and the conversation about what I needed happened before any move toward the exam table. In fact, that doctor never even touched me. I was also given clear explanations of my options, and the doctor explicitly included the option of leaving the office without getting a Pap smear at all.

Pap smears do not have to be painful or traumatic, and I’m angry that I had to have the first two experiences before the third. I understand that there is probably a reason the traditional method is preferred, but I strongly believe that by actually presenting patients with options and treating us with respect, getting a Pap smear can become a significantly less awful experience. And if patients don’t feel dehumanized and abused for experiencing pain during an objectively unpleasant procedure, they might actually get the tests done. 

I have been one of the women who considered just never getting any more Pap smears, in spite of the risks, and I’m glad I had an experience that changed my mind. I hope others who have had negative experiences, or even who are worried about it, are given the choices I was and are able to advocate for themselves and be heard and respected.

[spiderinthecupboard]

Differences in cervical cancer screening guidelines around the world

When looking for information about cervical screening* I noticed that the guidelines differ from country to country, and that even supposedly reliable sources offer rather inconsistent and often contradictory information. The point of this ‘survey’ is to find out more about the cervical cancer screening recommendations (and gynecological care in general) around the world, and to start an open discussion about this. The questions and more info are under the cut.

Reblogs are welcome but I realize this is a sensitive topic. If you don't want to publish this post and your answers on your blog, answering the questions in the comments is more than enough. If you want to respond anonymously, you can put the answers in my ask box.

1. Where do you live?

2. What is the recommended age for starting cervical cancer screening (also called pap smear, smear test, or cervical cytology) in your country?

3. Is cervical cancer screening in your country recommended for people who have never had any kind of sexual contact? Is it recommended for people who have never had penetrative vaginal intercourse?

4. What information about hymens** have you been taught in sex-ed class, biology class, or told by healthcare professionals? Do doctors in your country try to avoid tearing the hymen during exams if the patient has a small hymenal opening (for example using smaller instruments)?

5. Have you ever been pressured into a gynecological exam or procedure that you didn't want or didn't think you needed?

6. Have you ever been discouraged or prevented from getting a gynecological exam or procedure that you thought you needed?

Feel free to share any opinions or experiences relevant to this topic.

* Cervical cancer screening, pap smear, smear test, or cervical cytology is a medical test that examines a sample of cells from the cervix (a part of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina) and often helps detect pre-cancerous or cancerous changes early enough to treat. A speculum or a similar instrument is used to visualize the cervix; and a brush, a cotton swab, or a similar instrument is used to collect cells from the ectocervix and the external cervical os.

** The hymen (also called the hymenal ring or the vaginal corona) is a thin piece of mucosal tissue that surrounds or partially covers the vaginal opening. In the past it was often assumed that hymenal tissue always tears and bleeds during the first intercourse, which is of course an inaccurate and heteronormative overgeneralization. The thickness and elasticity of the tissue, and the size and shape of the opening (or sometimes multiple openings) are extremely diverse. Some hymens are fragile enough to tear during completely non-sexual activities, such as sports, some can gradually stretch out or wear down with tampon use, some can accommodate even penile penetration without tearing. Some people with vaginas are born without any hymenal tissue at all, and on the other side of the spectrum there are hymens that can't even let menstrual fluid out of the vagina so a surgery is necessary to create a sufficient opening. Some people don`t experience any discomfort when the hymenal tissue stretches or tears, while others feel significant pain.

[yoiku]

first pumpkin soup of the season has been devoured. I think I will also treat myself to the spiced latte on my way home today.

[pepsi-maxwell]

how the FUCK do you get nasal bacteria in your cunt???

[llycaons]

I don't feel like arguing w strangers on the internet today so if you really feel that transandrophobia is a genuine axis of oppression and that misandry is just as real as misogyny go read whipping girl by julia serano. or block me. idc I'm not arguing this

[emmashouldbewriting]

Celebrating the second best outcome possible of my colposcopy with a strawberry éclair.

I have mild cell changes (first grade) in some awkward spots. If the biopsies show what she thinks, it's a discharge to yearly smears to monitor. For the first time in weeks, I can breathe a little.

So I will eat my cake, drink my wine, and work from the sofa for the next few days to be kind to myself. Shout out to my period for waiting until the actual procedure to show up 🫣😂

I also got a new reader in one of the nurses and you'd be surprised how often that happens 🤷‍♀️😂

Oh. AND GO GET YOUR SMEAR TEST.

[failfemme]

they should invent a pap smear that isn’t like that

[nelfs]

on the same tangent, I’m glad that IUDs work for some women but I am absolutely and positively terrified of them. hearing about the procedure and how many women pass out/bleed for months afterwards/experience excruciating pain in general really makes me nauseous. the idea of having something forced thru my cervix (and strings hanging down!!) just really makes me feel sick …. Not in a “women shouldn’t do that” way but in the same way SAW movies make me feel ill. it is genuinely fucking barbaric not to sedate people beforehand or provide meaningful painkillers

[bisexual-slime]

FUCK i had to make an emergency gynecologist appointment and i would’ve had to wait until tuesday to see a woman so i had to book a visit with a man. it’s my first time seeing a gyno which is stressful enough but i also have to go to a fucking dude. i genuinely feel like crying and throwing up, not even using meme vernacular right now

fuuuck I'm so sorry, I can't imagine how scary this must feel. I had one appointment with a male doctor regarding reproductive help and that was horrible and nerve wracking, and it wasn't even invasive, it was just to get the implant in my arm replaced. I avoid gynecological altogether because this is my worst nightmare. I'm really sorry, I've got no real advice to offer here other than just try and relax leading up to the appointment (easier said than done, I know) to make it as easy as possible. Men should never be allowed into the field of gynaecology. I really hope this appointment goes well for you and you get the treatment you need

[troutlawyer]

guys even if you are getting ZERO bitches (gender-neutral) please keep going to the gynecologist/urologist/whoever specializes in what’s going on down there as frequently as recommended because you can STILL get cancer among a whole myriad of problems while being completely celibate

[lokh]

anyone out here got experience with hysterectomy in australia