Is having a smear test painful?
Every woman in Ireland aged between 25 and 65 is entitled to undergo a free smear test at least every five years.
The examination involves a medical professional inserting a device called a speculum into a woman’s vagina in order to hold it open.
A small brush is then used to take cells from the patient’s cervix and these are then analysed to assess her risk of developing cervical cancer.
On The Hard Shoulder, reporter Emily Keegan said for quite some time she was “terrified” of smear tests but that changed ahead of her 25th birthday.
“As it started to approach, I became more excited about it,” she said.
“I was still definitely nervous but I was excited to see what it was like.
“It was kind of like a club that I wanted to be in.”
A cervical screening test looks to see if you might be at greater risk of developing cervical cancer. Women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 65 can get free cervical screening tests.
Check when your next screening is due here: https://t.co/oCVEMrXP0a or ☎️ Freephone 1800 45… pic.twitter.com/Dj0mg9GVri
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) August 8, 2024
Smear tests were never mentioned to Emily growing up - not even at school - and she feels people still “shy away” from talking about them.
“It’s not something that was touched on,” she said.
“It’s something that I had no idea what it was about until my mother brought it up at home.”
Speaking to other young women her age, Emily found her experience was not unique.
“I’m turning 25 and I feel like I shouldn’t delay it any further,” one friend told her.
“[It] is an issue that isn’t really talked about enough and there’s barely any education on the topic.
“Cervical health is an important conversation that everyone needs to have.”
We encourage women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 65 to choose and attend their free HPV cervical screening tests regularly.
👩💻 Visit our website to check when your next screening is due: https://t.co/gQZtDnYG7v
☎️ Or Freephone 1800 45 45 55 pic.twitter.com/PC1U62kBJS— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) September 27, 2024
One of the most common fears is that the examination is painful but Dr Shirley McQuaid of Dublin’s Well Woman Centre said this is not normally the case.
“Generally, it’s unusual,” she said.
“It’s a strange experience but not actually painful.
“We do have different types of specula that we use, so if one type doesn’t seem to be right, then we can always change it for something different.”
Reality
Arriving for her test, Emily found that she felt “a little bit” of nerves.
As the speculum was inserted she felt a “bit of pressure” but not nothing painful.
“A little bit of a tickly sensation,” she said.
The procedure was over in less than a minute and the results will be sent over six weeks later.
Women can use the CervicalCheck register to see if they are due an appointment and should then ask their GP for one.
Main image: A woman getting a smear test. Picture by: Alamy.com
