ive a smear test nxt week but what does it involve? what should i wear/take off?have something to cover me?

Question

will i defo get breast exam

Answer 1

hhmmm a smear test. its not as bad as it sounds. make sure you're relaxed and you have the clinician explain what is happening as they are doing it so you don't get startled and the whole thing becomes a bad experience. you need to not be scared of having future smears and shouldn't be put off having future ones as they are so important for your health.

I believe they are done in the middle of your cycle as I think it is easier to get the right cells from the cervix, so make sure you've booked it for the right time.

the clinician will let you undress behind a screen (up to your waist). you sit on the bed and pull your knees up. the clinician should give you a blanket or a towel to help you feel more decent, but if they forget don't be too timid to ask for one. they insert a device to help open up your vagina, (which looks a lot worse than it feels). they will put a jelly on it and it is quite cold! then they take a swab from your cervix and remove the device and let you get dressed. there's nothing more to it. you should hear fairly quickly if there's something wrong, but its not unusual to get your results 8 - 9 weeks later depending upon the back log.

when you get your results, if there was anything abnormal, they might ask you to have another smear or have further investigations. sometimes the smear comes back as 'abnormal' but this can also mean that they didn't get enough cells or they didn't get the right type of cells but it can sometimes meaning that they have found abnormal (worrying) cells. what ever your results, your GP should be happy to discuss any concerns you have.

Anyway, good luck and remember, RELAX.

the link below is a leaflet the NHS provide on smears

Answer 2

Smear tests are not as bad as everyone says they are. If you stay relaxed it'd all be fine!! If you think you'll be uncomfortably taking clothes off, they wear a dress that you can pull up.
It is very important to relax, cos if you don't it may hurt a little. Think of anything else!! What helps me is to talk to the nurse/doctor. Doesn't matter what about, it's just to get your mind off what's going on and to help ypu relax!!
The last smear test I had turned out to be quite funny for me!! My nurse asked if I minded if a trainee nurse could do my smear! I agreed!! Bless her she was shaking like a leaf!! It made me more comfortable though, cos I knew I wasn't going to be the nevous one in the room!!
So when your lying on the bed with your legs open next week.......Just think of the fun I had with the trainee nurse!!!!!!

Answer 3

Answers seem to vary quite abit, probably because it is done slightly different depending on which country you live in.

My personal experience in the UK is this, undress from waist down, lay down with feet drawn close to bottom with legs open, nurse will insert speculum to open the vagina alittle (Lubricant will be used, speculum may feel cold as it is made from metal) then nurse will use something that looks like a wooden lolly pop stick to take cell samples from the cervix, which are then transferred onto a slide that gets sent off to be checked. Results should take between 6-8 wks depending on the area you live in, and get sent to your doctor, who in turn writes to you.

Everyone is different, while some feel nothing, others find it alittle uncomfortable, it can also be embarrassing, but is a much needed check, and is normally done every 3-5 years (again depends on area you live, plus family history too sometimes)

Try to relax, do not tense your muscles, breath deeply and evenly, and it will be over and done with as quickly as possible.

Answer 4

PAP smear right? Wear whatever, they'll give you a paper gown and drape to put on. Its not so bad. They'll insert a speculum to open you up, take brushings and swabs of your cervix (for cytology and cultures). The speculum will be removed and the doctor will place two fingers into you vagina while pressing around your lower abdoment to feel the borders of you uterus and ovaries. Usually they do a quick rectal exam (one finger in the anus) and a breast exam. Usually doesn't take more than 15 minutes total.

Answer 5

Just remember that the nurse who takes the smear test, has probably taken hundreds of tests before yours and you are just another patient to her. I always feel a little embarrassed and undignified but if you remember that you are one in a very long line, it does make you feel a little better. I have a cervix that points backwards apparently and whenever I have a smear test they can never get to the opening and have to put me in all sorts of positions using pillows and all sorts! But that's me and mine is pretty abnormal!! Please don't worry about it, it is usually quick and relatively pain-free - you will just feel a little scraping and it's a bit uncomfortable but only takes seconds. I usually wear a skirt and hitch it up. Good luck.

Answer 6

I take it, this will be your first one?

It is an embarrassing position to be in. Sometimes it may hurt a tad, but please relax and dont tense up.

Make sure you are not having a period at the time as they will not get an accurate reading, make sure its about a week after bleeding.

Wear cotton underwear, they will ask you to dress down from the waist.

They will insert something metal in you to see the cervix, then get a wooden spatula to collect any cells, it will last about 1 minute or so.

You then get the result by letter.

Hope this helps

Answer 7

Wear something that will be easy to take off and put back on. For example, don't wear pantyhose. Also, some women take something with them to read while they're being examined. It takes their minds off the embarrassing situation.

Truly, nothing can make a pap smear a pleasant experience, but if you dress accordingly and bring a distraction with you, it won't seem as bad.

Answer 8

You are going to get weighed, get your height measured. They are going to ask you when your last period was and if you smoke if your having unprotected sex and if you are sexually active and all types of questions? The doctor is going to give you a breast examine, he's going to put a stethascope on yor back and listen to your lungs when you breathe, check your eyes and ears out, check in your mouth. Then he's going to put a metal clamp inside your vagina and open it up and take a few swabbs of your vaginal wall. Beware the clamp is cold unless if he is a nice doctor and warms up the clamp under warm water. He feels arond your stomach to make sure you dont have any lumps and if everything feel ok in there. The nurse is going to ask you to take off EVERYTHING and put on a gown and they give you a lil blanket to put over your legs when you have to lie down. Well that about sums it up.

Answer 9

You're best off wearing a skirt and then just taking your underwear off. They aren't the nicest things to have done but necessary, not painful, but not the most comfy thing ever either. Just relax and breath deeply and it will all be over before you know it. It's only once every three years and it could save your life so keep that in mind.

Answer 10

you remove the lower half and they normally give you a blanket.
you lie back and with knees bent the doctor moves your legs apart best thing to do is just lie back imagine its not happening ~(actually quite easy)
The doctor will insert a small clamp (no Pain) to open the vagina and using one the lolly pop stick things get a smear sometimes you are asked to lie down a while no problem its over in seconds and does not hurt one bit and a nurse is always present.