Is this a sign of cervical cancer?

[BrokenGirl]

There's a big cervical cancer scandal in my country at the moment and it's terrifying me. People being told that their smear test results were clear when they weren't.
I was reading a bit online about it a few days ago and I came across a page that listed cervical cancer symptoms. I got off the page as quickly as I could because I didn't want to trigger myself. But unfortunately I did get a glimpse of something before I got off that page. It said something about unusual or unpleasant discharge. And I've been freaking about it since then, thinking I have a bit more discharge than usual or that there's a stronger odor from it. I don't even know if it meant that a strong smell is a symptom but I'm convincing myself it did and I have one.
So what I'm asking is, Is a strong unusual smell from your discharge a symptom of cervical cancer? I'm too scared to google it.....

[artist12]

Hi hun,

First, I totally understand how you feel - cervical cancer has been at the top of my list of worries and I can't imagine going through the events like what you're having in your country with HA.

There are a TON of benign and temporary reasons for discharge change. I just went to my OB-GYN for my smear last week, and I also came to her with this same worry of something being off with discharge...being afraid that it could be a "first symptom" - she wasn't even concerned in the slightest. Says it's very easy for pH levels to get out of whack and cause those kinds of symptoms, without it being a full blown infection (which is why I worried about it - it didn't seem to fall into the infection category)

She has me taking probiotics and using an over the counter gel to restore pH and it's already helping massively.

[Rabbit26]

It is also top of my list of worries too - for the same reason but also because I have pelvic pain too (and abdominal pains) intermittently. I have been unable to even ever have a smear done as I suffer with vaginismus (never been able to have sex either). Part of me says that my chances of having cervical cancer given this are very low to non-existent but the other part of me cannot get the symptoms out of my head. At least part of every day I worry I'm dying from this.

[BrokenGirl]

Thank you both for replying. It's so hard to keep a level head at the moment about smear tests. Everytime I look at the news it's all over the headlines.
The last few days I've had a few episodes of thick discharge - nearly like the white part of an egg (sorry if that sounds awful but it's the closest thing I can think of to describe it).
I don't think there's a strong odor off it any more but this thick discharge is frightening me, even though I know I've had it before.
I guess I'm afraid I'm having more of it now but my mind definitely has to be playing tricks with me too.
Does anyone else have thick discharge sometimes? I'm around mid cycle so I don't know if it's anything to do with ovulation or not....

[WiseMonkey]

Hi have you had an HPV test as well as a pap smear? This can be a pre-courser to cervical changes in 99% of cases. However, HPV can come and go but certain strains are more troublesome than others especially if they don't clear over time.

It's worth spending the extra money to get this tested.

[Leslie735]

Hi have you had an HPV test as well as a pap smear? This can be a pre-courser to cervical changes in 99% of cases. However, HPV can come and go but certain strains are more troublesome than others especially if they don't clear over time.

It's worth spending the extra money to get this tested.

I've been having pap smears since I was 19 and I'm 33. Far as I know, my HPV test has always been negative (they test for it yearly here in the US). My husband and I have been married 13 years and have been faithful to each other. Does that mean I don't have to worry about HPV as long as that trend continues? I never can find a straight answer on google.

[BrokenGirl]

I've never had a HPV test - they don't do that here with smear tests.
It would scare me to get one done. If you test positive for HPV, how likely is it to develop into cancer?

[Scass]

Your discharge changes throughout your monthly cycle too. So before your period or ovulation it can be heavier & stretchy.


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[WiseMonkey]

I've been having pap smears since I was 19 and I'm 33. Far as I know, my HPV test has always been negative (they test for it yearly here in the US). My husband and I have been married 13 years and have been faithful to each other. Does that mean I don't have to worry about HPV as long as that trend continues? I never can find a straight answer on google.

Some countries have ditched the pap smear and are only testing for HPV. If the HPV is a virulent strain then a pap smear is taken and then a culposcopy.

99% of cervical cancers are caused by the HPV virus. Only a few strains of HPV are responsible for this. Most HPV detected clears up with a year of two of it's own accord.

[BrokenGirl]

I had quite a lot of thick mucus like discharge today. I know I've had this before but the problem is I can't be sure what time of the month I've had it or how long it has lasted? HA makes me forget what's "normal" for me, no matter what symptom it is.
Today was day 15 of my cycle and I've had this mucus like discharge for a few days now at least. I read it can happen around ovulation but how long should it go on for?

[WiseMonkey]

I had quite a lot of thick mucus like discharge today. I know I've had this before but the problem is I can't be sure what time of the month I've had it or how long it has lasted? HA makes me forget what's "normal" for me, no matter what symptom it is.
Today was day 15 of my cycle and I've had this mucus like discharge for a few days now at least. I read it can happen around ovulation but how long should it go on for?

The thickish whitish/yellow discharge is from the hormone progesterone, which is around before and after ovulation. The length of time can vary from woman to woman.
It is NOT a sign of cervical cancer.