terrified

Tests and investigations
1

hi

I'm 35 and attending my 1st ever smear test today. I know I only have myself to blame for not going.

last weekend following intercourse with my partner I had excruciating pain in my abdomen the next day I went to my gp as I had also noticed some white bumps.

I was referred to the local hospital with suspected appendicitis without any examination! !

At the hospital they took bloods and I had an ultrasound all came back clear. As I hadn't been examined down below I was still really scared so arranged a appointment with my local sexual health clinic. Here they told me the lumps were genital warts I was mortified, iv been with my partner for 2 years and had no idea how or when this happened. However following Internet searchs have found hpv. I am so convinced that I have this now (still waiting on my results) anyway following reading all of this I now know that this could cause cervical cancer and I'm terrified. I have booked the smear test but have self diagnosed myself so much via the Intenet that I have convinced myself it will be bad news. I'm so angry with myself for leaving it so long 😢 please people get your smears done no matter what!! I'm dreading the waiting game and what happens next fingers crossed that my self diagnosis is completely wrong and ill be ok but you never know

2

Hi Carris

I don't have smears at all, HPV- women can't benefit from smears, and most women are HPV-.  (around 95% of women aged 30 to 60 are HPV-)

Having unnecessary smear tests simply exposes women to risk from false positives, excess biopsies and over-treatment.

The only women who should be offered smear tests are the roughly 5% of women aged 30 to 60 who are HPV+...and you can test yourself for HPV easily and reliably with something like the Delphi Screener.

I wouldn't panic, even if you're HPV+, almost all women simply clear the virus in a year or two, it's only the rare cases that go on to develop invasive cervical cancer. 0.65% is the lifetime risk of cervical cancer. 

HPV+ women aged 30 to 60 have a small chance of benefiting from smear tests.

I think the best program in the world for those women who wish to screen is the new Dutch program, no population smear tests, a horrible burden for the vast majority of women who can never benefit (but can be harmed) and instead they'll offer 5 HPV primary tests or HPV self-testing at ages 30,35,40, 50 and 60 and a 5 yearly pap test will only be offered to the roughly 5% who are HPV+, this will save more lives and take most women out of smear testing and harms way.

I'd urge you to do some reading, I think many women worry unnecessarily about this cancer and HPV, once informed it tends to put the risk in perspective. Cervical cancer has always been a fairly rare cancer in the developed world.

Good luck....hope all goes well.

3

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks ks for the reply, given the genital warts situation I'm guessing that it could only be hpv since I have been with my partner 2 years in which case I'm assuming it is best to be screened unfortunately I'm in the UK so using the delphi screening isn't an option fingers crossed all goes well today and following the 2 week wait I get some answers

4

Hi there, I had a similar situation but have had smears since and nothing has shown. But around a year ago I started having abnormal bleeding , discharge etc so I thought id get it checked. I was due a smear and when I had it I bleed which worried me. It's been he'll because I'm still suffering with headaches, abdominal discomfort, pink discharge and I still do t know what's causing it. I see a specialist in 3 weeks. So far I've had a normal Carrara, swabs, bloods, and nothing has shown. I'm just praying it's nothing bad really. I hope thry get you sorted and you sound like your doing all the right things do try not to worry.

5

Whoops meant a camera

6

I thought I would update you all my tests came back clear from the sexual health clinic but my smear results were abnormal showing high grade dyskaryosis so have now been referred for colposcopy

7

I really hope the results are good news for you. I know when i have had my smears the nurses told me that HPV is very common in women. I had had pre cancerous cells twice now they biopsied them and said the results came back CIN 1 and CIN 2 i have had to have the cells burnt off twice and dreading my next smear. I really hope you have good results

8

Hi hannah i have just read your reply to carris. If you are worried about your situation i would recommend asking your doctor if you symptoms could suggest endrometriosis as i was diagnoised with this 10 years ago and had 8 laproscopy surgeries to remove it. I have suffered for years with severe abdominal pain, lower pelvic pain irregular bleeding pain during intercourse and bleeding intercourse the gynaecologist did a internal scan and reveal endrometriosis. I hope you get some answers soon

9

Thank you. I think this could be something I could have. Can this not be seen on a normal camera probe? I see specialist in two weeks thank god. Having pink discharge on occasion when I go to the loo.

10

Hi Coral

HPV is fairly common but most women clear it in a year or two, no big deal. About 40% of women under 30 WILL be HPV+...transient and harmless infections that will clear by age 30. That's why Finland and the Netherlands don't do smear testing or HPV testing on women under 30, it doesn't help and just sends a lot of young women for potentially damaging over-treatment and excess biopsies.

From age 30 to 60 about 5% of women are HPV+...these are the women who should be offered a 5 yearly smear test, these are the ONLY women who can benefit from smear testing. (the new Dutch program, and you can even test yourself for HPV using something like the Delphi Screener or Tampap)

Having "pre-cancerous" cells removed is fairly common with population pap testing, especially when you screen young women or over-screen women. Here in Australia more than three-quarters of women who follow our program WILL have a colposcopy and usually at least a biopsy, many go on to have "pre-cancerous" cells removed, almost all amounts to over-treatment. 

We know CIN 1 is nothing to worry about, CIN 2 usually doesn't progress but about 12% of women with CIN 3 might progress to invasive cc. (some studies go as high as 20%) 

I know some CIN 2 women also, choose to be treated, especially if they're HPV+ (others opt for re-testing or a colposcopy)

So I can certainly see why some women 30+ might have CIN 3 treated, but these women should also, be checked for HPV - IF there is no HPV, then you're not at risk of cc. (something else is producing the abnormal smear test)

Many things can cause an "abnormal" smear test, transient and harmless infections (common in young women) inflammation (tampons, condoms) trauma (childbirth) hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause) and even perfectly normal changes in the body - in young women with a maturing cervix and post/menopausal women.

So cervical cancer has always been rare, but sadly, these programs, especially when they include young women or if they over-screen women, result in a lot of anxiety and unnecessary procedures.

Here in Australia a study put the lifetime risk of colposcopy/biopsy at a horrifying 77% while the lifetime risk of cervix cancer is LESS than 1% - 0.65%

So I wouldn't worry too much, keep the risk in perspective, women are FAR more likely to die from heart disease, lung cancer or almost any other cancer - cervix cancer is way down the list and always has been in the developed world, it's always been a fairly rare cancer.

Best of luck...hope all goes well.

11

Sometimes can be missed dwpending on where the endrometriosis is the best way to detect is a diagnosic laproscopy