Did you know that Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is the week of January from the 18th to the 24th? Raising awareness of the importance of looking after yourself as a woman is always vital. But in January specifically, the light shines over cervical cancer. There are over 3000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed just in the UK every single year, and globally that figure is a lot bigger.
It’s an unfortunate reality that in most places in the world, there is an age limit before you can get your first smear test. When preparing for your first one, no matter how old you are, it takes a little bit of grit. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had children, whether you are a confident woman or whether you are not or are sexually active. Preparing for a smear test and talking to a doctor about the potential risks of cervical cancer is always intimidating. You are in a vulnerable position when you are going for a smear test and it’s a good reason behind why so many women refuse to go and get them in the first place. However, one of the biggest side effects of not going for a smear test is the risk of dying of cervical cancer, which means that you need to get yours booked in when it should be booked in. Let’s take a look at how you can prepare for your smear test.
- Remember that your doctor has seen more than one vagina before. There is never a need to feel embarrassed at the GP. When you go for your smear test, you are not the first person to go and the doctor has been trained in that. They have seen many women for their smear tests and they are not thinking of your body parts as body parts, they are thinking of the medicine.
- You do not need to landscape. In fact, one of the things that most women don’t realize is that it’s a bad idea to shave any pubic hair for a smear test. Your pubic hair has a function, which means you do not need to get rid of it before your doctor does a smear test, especially because the smear test takes place up in the cervix.
- Make sure you are wearing warm clothing. You are always required to remove your underwear and your trousers or your skirt but you can feel cold and uncomfortable so having some fluffy socks and the warm jumper on can help you to feel less exposed.
- Is there a distraction? Having a cold speculum inserted into your body can make you tense up. Even thinking about it can make you tense up. But that kind of goes against what you need to be doing for smear tests. When you lie down on that examination table, think of something that can help to distract you during the test. Instead, you might be able to reward yourself for going for the test and being brave enough to be smart about your cervix.
Don’t panic – you’re doing the right thing.
