“It was over before I knew.”

People don’t know about options to make their cervix screening easier and more comfortable “Life Life”Cancer accommodation organization warned last month.

In order to find out how the test for first -timer really is, the BBC spoke in the past six months with six people who had its first neck screening, which was previously known as an exploitation test.

Cervical screenings that are offered by the NHS to all women and people with a cervix at the age of 25 to 64, test the presence of certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes 99% of cervical cancer.

During the test, a nurse uses a speculum – a tool to open the vagina – and a brush to take a sample of cells from the cervix.

So it was for six people that the test was carried out for the first time and what they knew in advance.

The 26 -year -old Erica Donnelly, who lives in Sunderland, waited about a year later to book her demonstration date after receiving an invitation.

“I was in a massive panic because I had PTBs about sexual trauma, so I was really nervous about it,” she says.

When she finally carried out the test last month, she brought her partner with her to support and to help her if she had a review or panic attack. If you have them there, experience also felt “more convenient and more comfortable,” she says.

The 27 -year -old Bianca Ionici, who lives in London, says that she has postponed her neck screening “at least two years” due to concerns about pain.

However, after Bianca received another invitation that contained a lot of information about the process, she booked her demonstration in January.

Other people say they booked their demonstrations as soon as possible.

Eleanor Gratton, who had her exam at the end of last year at the age of 25, says her friends are afraid that the process would be “uncomfortable and painful”. But since more and more people in their group had their demonstrations, she said that they did not find this as the case.

Jessica Tse was “really anxious” in front of her neck screening in December.

“I didn’t know if it would hurt,” she says.

But the nurse spoke “to me, steered me through” and explained the procedure “really clear”, she adds.

“It was painful and it was something that I hadn’t felt before,” recalls Bianca.

But “it was over before I knew it,” she says.

Others say they have experienced no discomfort -like Megan Burns, a creator of social media content living in Brighton.

“It was nothing,” says Megan, who had her first demonstration in September at the age of 25. “I couldn’t feel anything.” She says that the fact that she had already had two children, she is less concerned about the experience.

“These nurses saw everything,” added Megan.

Some people feel under the pressure to shave their pubic hair or wear their best underwear, she says. But Megan speaks as a former health worker and says: “You are there to do a job, you don’t care about these things.”

While most people only feel slight pain on their dates, some people have more complaints on their dates.

“Some people find cervical screening uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be painful” says. It notes that some diseases such as endometriosis, vaginism and menopause can make screening painful.

The NHS says that patients have control over the screening and “can stop the nurse at any time”.

People can ask for adjustments to make their demonstration easier or more comfortable. This includes:

• A smaller speculum (the tube -shaped tool that is inserted into the vagina to help the nurse take the sample)
• A long appointment so that you are not rushed
• More lubrication
• Move into a different position
• Insert or lead the speculum yourself
• Bring a friend to support

According to the latest studies by the EVE, very few people are aware that they can request them. Less than a quarter of the people surveyed stated that they knew that they could request a smaller speculum, and only 12% stated that they knew that they could ask for a double appointment.

Some of the people with whom the BBC spoke said they didn’t know that they could have asked for accommodation.

Bianca says she asked the nurse to use a smaller speculum after reading it online.

However, she believes that information about adjustments is clearer if you book the appointment because some have to be considered in advance – how to bring with you or book a double slot.

Jack Latham, a 28-year-old personal trainer who lives in Kent, said that he received his first demonstration at the age of 25 shortly after he had come out as a trans. He says his family doctor has “incredibly supportive” and there was even one Poster In the waiting room of his operation, Transmänner encouraged to organize a neck screening.

Trans- and non-binary people who have a cervix Regular cervix demonstrations.

Jack says he has postponed the appointment for fear until he carried out a blood test in the summer of 2024 and the nurse offered him a throat screening on site.

“It was so much faster and much less a bigger business,” says Jack. “It is by no means as bad as you think it will be.”

Some trans men Previously, the BBC told They had not been invited to obtain cervix demonstrations because they were classified as male in medical documents, even though they still had a cervix.

The NHS would like to encourage more people to choose their cervical demonstrations. NHS England has promised Eliminate cervix cancer until 2040.

Women between the ages of 25 and 49 are encouraged to carry out a screening every three years, while women between the ages of 50 and 64 should have one every five years.

The NHS England data from March 2024 showed that 44.5% of women between the ages of 25 and 29 had not been examined in the past 3.5 years. For those aged 30 to 34 years, this number was 35.3%.

The proportion of younger women who have been adequately written off in recent years has dropped a little.

Dr. Sue Mann, NHS National Clinical Director for Women’s Health, said the BBC in a statement that doctors know that some women find screenings “very worrying and uncomfortable”.

She emphasized that adjustments are always available and that women should book their demonstrations, even if they were invited months or years ago.

An exhibition in the Vagina Museum in Ost -London encouraged visitors to write improvements that they would like to see for the NHS’s neck -screening service on paper sheds.

The artist Ella Clancy, who produced the display, said that joint inquiries contain further information about the available adjustments – especially after smaller speculum – nurses who talked about exactly what they did when they did the screening and the personnel trauma were.

Eleanor says there should be more education about what HPV is. School students are usually vaccinated against HPV between the eighth and the 10th year, but Eleanor says that at the time it was not clear what the stitch was for.

Jessica believes that doctors should explain the results with a simple language, and says that she has to call her GP to receive further explanations after receiving her result.

Some people prefer to carry out medical tests in their own home if possible. DO-it-yourself-neck tests are available in some countries, and Researchers at King’s College London have tested them in London in 2021 with “fantastic” results. They contain a vaginal smear, which is then sent to a laboratory.

The NHS said last year that it judged whether the system should continue to be switched off.

Eleanor said she was “calm” and knew that a medical specialist carried out her first demonstration, but would try to make a version of the test at home if the option were available.

Jack, on the other hand, has his doubts. He says he would prefer a kit for “convenience and flexibility” at home, but he would “hesitate to hesitate whether I did it right”.

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