View Full Version : Another smear test question!
My doctor has just told me, after much complaining on my part, that she will do a smear test for me (I'm 23 so it took some persuading!). I'm just wondering how long you have to wait for results?! I've yet to book my appointment but will do it tomorrow. I just want to know the results asap!
Thats VERY odd! Are you sexually active? Sorry to pry - and you dont need to answer in here if you dont want to! But they definitely should do a smear test without you nagging if you are!!! I had my first smear test much younger than this, and they should definitely not make you keep complaining to try and get one!!! Thats terrible!
Anyway glad you are aware and a smart lady about getting this done :)
They are very simple and if there was anything to come up as 'abnormal' on the smear results they can tell immediately. An awful lot of the time the test can come up with an 'abnormal' result as they didn't get enough cells (just taken with a swab) or a tiny imbalance and is nothing to worry about, they will just ask for a repeat test.
They sometimes - depending on the facilities where you have this done - will have to wait up to a week for some tests, but they are very likely to be able to tell you immediately these days :)
Best of luck, nothing to worry about, and if you want any personal advice, pm me any time hun xx
At the moment due to the increased demand for smear tests, mine are taking two months or there abouts. The longer they take , the more likely the results came back perfect. I had a second borderline abnormality on with my last results and they took just four weeks. It is also worth noting that usually if there are no abnormalities or need to repeat due to lack of cells, they dont send a letter at all. Most doctors receptionists dont mind you calling fairly frequently after the first month to check if they've heard anything. Im sure it will all be dandy x
Thank you for your replies - oh my god 2 months?? I hope it doesn't take that long....so stupid about the "increased demand", surely by putting the system in place, they should have the facilities to cope with 100% attendance (although I know this obviously doesn't happen!) NHS is ridiculous sometimes.
Nicbow - you're not prying at all! Yes I am sexually active and have been since 17... the age changed from 21 to 25 in 2003. My doctor was very reluctant when I asked her about it and had to speak to all the other doctors and nurses to ask whether it was okay before she could say yes. She actually said to me that the nurses would be really annoyed with her if she said yes to me as it would set a precedent blah blah blah especially as I had no "specific" symptoms. Ridiculous! Hopefully I will be able to book tomorrow, eek. I hope I get results sooner than 2 months! But good advice xfilme about the longer they take, the more likely they are okay....
Yup - six weeks is standard.... ridiculous but as Xfilme says, the longer the better in a way....
Your doctor should not have had to be persuaded, silly person. Anyway, you won! You'll be good - as you know the genital wart strain is not the one relevant to Cervical Cancer - so that's one thing to strike off....
Keep us informed as to how you go - and any questions feel free to ask away - have had more smear tests than I care to count! And had HPV, twice - unfortunately both times were strains relevant to Cervical cancer, so am well informed on that one too.... but all sorted out now and have been clear of it for two years....
WEll done you for getting it all sorted.
x
Is this a UK thing to not get these done earlier? No offense intended...I'm just shocked since we start getting smears here in the US when we are about 16-18! A yearly smear is sooo important!
I can't give any advice on how long it takes. My doctor never calls with the results if everything is normal.
Good luck to you!
Yes - in England the recommended age to start having them done is 25. Unless you have symptoms, ie. bleeding between periods etc etc then you cannot have one until then. It's awful isn't it??
hey, i had mine just after xmas, and mine took 4 weeks and 4 days (not that i was counting, he he!) x
Little Miss Anxious
07-05-09, 13:30
Hi. I had mine done at my local family planning clinic, I'm 35 so well within the age recommedations so obviously had no hassle getting one done. At our clinic you just drop in & wait your turn there were absolutely loads of girls who looked to be in their late teens / early 20's there for the same. They were going in & out of the nurses offices as if on a conveyor belt so it didnt seem they were having any problems getting them done - unless they were being refused which I doubt very much seeing as they were in there around 15 minutes & the nurse told me they had a very high attendance rate in the age group of 20 - 40 years (It was Feb time at the height of Jade's media coverage)
The family planning clinic might just be another option to bear in mind for anyone wanting them done without invitation.
I got told 3 to 6 weeks for my results due to backlog - I got them in 2 weeks though : )
Wow I'm so shocked that they don't let you girls get smears over there earlier! This is a terrible thing to say on an HA forum and I do NOT mean to scare anyone but I've had about 5 close friends get abnormal smears back. I'm only saying this because that's why I think it is important to have this done earlier! Then again, none of those girls actually ended up having anything major anyway. As someone mentioned before, abnormals can come up from the slightest mistake from the actual test.
Do they promote the HPV vaccine over there in the UK? They just started getting really crazy about it here in the US. Guardasil I think it's called? They are recommending girls start getting this as young as 8 years old. I think that's a little silly! I'm not big on vaccines, why vaccinate against something(like the flu) when there are how many other strains out there to still catch?
Ahh well, I wish you girls all the best of luck. I just learned recently that you guys have way better healthcare over there than we have in the US. That's a good thing! :D
In East Anglia smear test results are currently taking 8 weeks. that's 2 months!! Personally I think that's way too long to expect people to wait for any kind of medical test result, it's particularly hard for HA sufferers. I was told by my GP that this is entirely down to the "Jade Goody" effect.
My previous test 3 years ago came back in 2 weeks.
I need a follow-up test & am thinking of going private as cannot face another 8 week wait for the result.
Girlrock, yes the HPV vaccine is being promoted over here, I think it's being aimed at age 12-18. Do you have a smear every year? We only get them every 3 years.
Luchipoo, sure you will be fine, good luck x
Yes its recommended every year. I am also on birth control and as someone previously stated...we HAVE to get a yearly exam or they won't fill our birth control!
Well the reason they increased the age is that your cervix is not fully matured until you're around 25 so the NHS were getting a lot of results back which were abnormal but these abnormal cells then corrected themselves anyway. So the reason is based on medical evidence HOWEVER this does not make it right. I staunchly believe that the age should be reduced - for the NHS and the government it is all just about money really. The "Jade Goody" effect is ridiculous - the media fail to tell us that she had abnormal cells when she was 16 and then at 18 so there was already a problem there. I think it's disgusting that now people are having smears, they do not have the capacity to keep up with it. Surely if the government puts a screening test like this in place, they should assume that everyone will take up the offer and organise accordingly.
And yes girlrock, we do get free health care in the UK, whereas I think in the US you have to have medical insurance? This of course leaves A LOT of people not able to see doctors etc because so many people just can't afford this. We also get private insurance here, if you can afford it of course!
I booked my test for Tues - I'm really scared :( Not really about the procedure itself, but more about the results. I think I'm going to be a mess for a while! But I suppose it's better to know if they do find something....
the last smear i had took about 6 weeks to get my results back
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