
What to expect at your first cervical cancer screening
It’s been six years since my first cervical cancer screening – and I wanted to update this post because it is still such an important topic. In the years before my first test, I remember watching Jade Goody on Big Brother. It really affected me to see how cervical cancer, and the lack of testing for young women at the time, ripped her life apart and devastated her family. What scared me the most is that cervical cancer can be such a hidden disease, often with symptoms not starting to show until it’s too late for many of the most effective treatments.
It’s a topic that affects me hugely – my grandmother died of starvation eventually following a long battle with oesophageal cancer. Sadly it was discovered far too late because she ignored her symptoms. It might not be the cheeriest thing to talk about – but I think talking about it is so important to help raise awareness. If talking about what happened to my nan gives one person the push to seek treatment, it’s worth it. But luckily for cervical cancer – there is so much that can be done now including free testing that can alert doctors if you are showing signs of abnormalities.
Why am I talking about cervical cancer screening?
Okay let’s start by saying – women’s health is a subject that definitely isn’t talked about enough growing up. Throughout my time as a kid and teenager – I look back now and am shocked at the lack of education surrounding women’s bodies and health. Our sex education was severely lacking, but even more important, women aren’t taught to be in-tune with their bodies. We are not taught of the connections between different parts of our bodies. Where is the focus on the importance of checking our breasts, knowing our vaginas and talking about cervical health? As an adult, I have educated myself on so much. But I believe so much needs to be done much earlier in our lives.
I want this post to be a resource to support young people who are approaching the age of cervical screening. Or for any other self-care, wellness and health concerns you might have. After all – one of the reasons I have been able to travel for so long around the world is because I do look after my health. Good health is the most important thing we can have in this world and it’s something we should treasure. This doesn’t mean just accepting and taking it for granted, but rather doing the research and spending the time getting to know ourselves, and our bodies. It also means taking responsibility for our health and ensuring we are preventative in our lifestyles, while taking every opportunity for healthcare checks.
What is cervical cancer screening?
We are so lucky in the UK, because cervical cancer screening for human papillomavirus is available free of charge to those most at risk. There are many countries that do not offer this and cannot help to identify the disease early on. Cancer Research says: “The NHS cervical screening programme invites women aged between 25 and 64 for cervical screening. Screening also applies to other people within this age range who have a cervix, such as trans men. The screening test aims to pick up changes early that could develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.” Up to six months before you turn 25, you will receive a letter from the NHS informing you about your screening and prompting you to book in.
Why do I need it?
Not everyone diagnosed with cervical cancer will have symptoms. Things to look out for include unusual vaginal bleeding, pain during sex or vaginal discharge. But cervical cancer is a disease that can easily cause serious problems before you even suffer symptoms. By getting regular screenings, your doctor can check for any early cell abnormalities. If any are found, it is a relatively straightforward procedure to have these removed and a lot less traumatic than later treatment.
A big concern of mine is the women who skip the screening because of fear or embarrassment over taking their knickers off for the doctor. I understand why the thought might be scary. But you have to weigh up your concerns with the fact that this simple two-minute screening could be saving you from much bigger and scarier things. For the sake of just getting your lady bits out – it could save your life. Cervical screening wasn’t readily available when Jade Goody (and many other women) were developing cancer and sadly, it couldn’t save their lives. We are so lucky to have this opportunity to look after our health – don’t throw it away.
My experience of cervical cancer screening
I received my letter around three months before I was due to go travelling for the first time. I tried calling up to my doctor’s surgery to book in but unfortunately they had a waiting list for appointments. It was when I went to get my final vaccinations for travel that my nurse asked me about my screening. I told her I had been unable to get an appointment for before I leave. She asked me if I would like to have it done during that appointment. I was in the room for around 15 minutes total – this included 2 rounds of vaccinations and my cervical cancer screening. We were joined by another nurse and they asked me to take off my bottoms and knickers and lay back on the examination bed.
I had to put my feet together just behind my bum and spread my knees apart – not the most elegant position. Then the nurse added some lubricant before inserting the speculum. This is probably the worst bit – it has to stretch your cervix opening which can be uncomfortable. It wasn’t at any point painful for me – only uncomfortable. Then a long piece of metal was inserted in the speculum to take a swab from my cervix. This part feels a bit weird as you can feel something rummaging inside you – but again not painful and it only lasts a few seconds. Then everything is removed and you wipe yourself down and get dressed. If you’ve ever had an STD test where swabs were taken – it feels exactly the same.

Pic by Marco Verch
What should I expect from my first cervical cancer screening?
Don’t let the thought of a pap test intimidate you – remember the more you overthink it, the worse it becomes. I was lucky and had no time to mentally prepare for mine as it was spur of the moment. But for anyone who has a few weeks or even months to prepare, here’s what you should expect.
- You will get your letter several months before you turn 25 – book in asap as there is sometimes a wait-list
- Kind nurses who will talk you through the process and even hold your hand if you’re scared/embarrassed
- Staff who have seen it all before – nothing will surprise them so you have nothing to be embarrassed about
- To be unsure whether you should keep your socks on or not – I still haven’t worked it out but I keep mine on!
- Cold metal and lube will be a shock when it touches you for the first time
- It will be over quicker than you think! I’ve never had a screening that lasted longer than 5 mins!
- You normally receive the results within 2-6 weeks – call if it takes any longer to chase results.
- You will either receive a “normal” result – or if you have any HPV cells they will be assessed for changes/risk.
- Don’t worry if your results aren’t normal – it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer – just that you have cells that could develop into cancer. This can be treated or monitored in a number of ways.
Does it hurt to get a cervical cancer screening?
For most women – no it doesn’t hurt but it may feel uncomfortable. It’s important to be able to relax. The more you tense your muscles, the more likely it is to hurt or be uncomfortable. I do want to stress that I understand while I was lucky and experienced no pain. For some women it can be a less pleasant experience. This is either because they feel uncomfortable or anxious, or because it is physically painful. Remember, everyone’s body is different so that means some people will struggle with this more than others. However, for most women, the level of pain/discomfort is not enough to prevent them getting a screening. As I mentioned previously, it’s a very quick process if you’re relaxed and it can easily be over in less than five minutes. If you’ve ever had an STD test where swabs were taken – it feels exactly the same.
Tips for getting over fear/embarrassment
I know one of the biggest issues for women who don’t book their screening can be fear or embarrassment over having the test. I totally understand feeling a bit intimidated at the thought of laying there with your pants off and legs akimbo while a doctor or nurse takes swabs. But honestly? The thought of the experience is very different to the real thing. When you’re having the screening – it all happens so quickly that you don’t even have time to feel awkward. But, if you’re really struggling to book your appointment, try these tips:
- Talk to women in your life who have had it done – your mum, sister, aunt, friend – and let them reassure you.
- Watch Youtube videos that talk about it (if you don’t have anyone you can speak with)
- Read blogs and articles about the process and cervical cancer – reinforce the importance of going.
- Remember: the nurse also has a vagina! She also sees vaginas all day long!
- Take your friend/mum with you to hold your hand if you’re really nervous.
- Try meditation and breathing exercises – they can really help with relaxation and stopping any panic.
- Read: A beginner’s guide to mindfulness and meditation
Great resources for you to explore:
- Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust – the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity
- Cervical cancer symptoms and signs | The Eve Appeal
- Cancer Research – Cervical Cancer
- Cancer.gov – What is Cancer?
What will happen after my appointment?
You’ll be free to have a giggle with your girls about the whole experience over a glass of wine. Afterwards, you may have a slight tummy-ache or feel slightly uncomfortable. It’s nothing a hot water bottle won’t fix. It definitely doesn’t compare to period pains so don’t worry that you’ll be agony. I know it can be more painful for some women. But for most, you may experience some light spotting which is totally normal. Give yourself time to relax and recover. Then you will receive your results within 2-6 weeks depending on where you live. You will either be given a “normal” result, or “inconclusive” if the sample needs to be re-done.
If you have any cells that are concerning to doctors, they will either remove these. Or they will monitor them depending on the scale and how high risk you are. If you have a normal result, you might not need another screening for 3-5 years. Those with high risk HPV cells might be called in again sooner. But this is nothing to worry about – it just means you have cells that could potentially turn into cervical cancer. But this is a very early stage and may at most mean you need the cells to be removed.
If you do receive your letter for your first cervical cancer screening. Let me be the first to urge you to have it done. It’s no-one’s idea of fun, and yes it can be awkward or uncomfortable. But we are so lucky to have this test available. It saves lives and it could save yours. The difference between catching these cells early and late. It could be the difference between a long and happy life, or it being stolen from you. For the sake of a 5 minute swab test – it’s 100% worth any embarrassment you might feel for peace of mind.
Have you had your first cervical screening? How was your experience? What advice would you give to anyone who is scared to get their first one?
*first image credited to Thought Catalogue
Hayley-Eszti
Thanks for sharing this Lucy! I think we need to talk about this sort of thing so much more. There is such a taboo with it, but I don’t personally see why. It’s a bit nerve-racking the first time you have to spread your legs open for a doctor or nurse, but we might as well get used to it because it is going to happen enough times throughout our lives. I had to have a smear test done when I was 20, which they don’t normally do and they didn’t make the decision lightly, but luckily I pushed for it because I needed surgery which they wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for the test! Hopefully this will help some girls who haven’t had one yet or a bit scared. Thanks for speaking up!
Have a lovely weekend 🙂
http://www.hayleyeszti.com
LucyRuthnum
You’re so right Hayley – too many women don’t know what to expect so they freak out about it when it really isn’t that bad. There’s way too many women’s health issues that aren’t talked about which means so many end up blind-sided by things when they could have been better prepared if we weren’t all embarrassed to talk about certain topics! It definitely is a bit weird, but it’s just a body at the end of the day – we’ve all got one with lumps and bumps in different places… good for you pushing for the test – just shows you that no-one knows our bodies better than ourselves, even the doctors! That’s so good that it helped fix your problem – I know from experience how hard it can be to get your voice heard by medical professionals sometimes who are convinced they’ve already figured out the problem after a 10 minute conversation! Hope you had a good weekend xx
jasmincharlotte
Woo thanks for blogging about this! I try and make everyone make sure they go and get one. I ended up having some odd bleeding and had to go in for a colposcopy and biopsy (which even though aren’t enjoyable are not as bad as you think), luckily it was just normal change and a ‘fragile’ cervix, so after that scare, it is so important to get checked! If anything odd is found it is so much better to find it early and soon cervical cancer will be one of the rarest forms around which definitely makes me feel better 🙂 x
Jasmin Charlotte | UK Lifestyle Blog
LucyRuthnum
Haha my pleasure Jasmin 🙂 was certainly a funny post to write! Good for you making sure your friends & family look after their health, I’m sure there’s so many people out there who just ignore the letters until it is already too late – or worse, so many who aren’t even offered the test yet when it could save their lives. Glad to heard those two weren’t as scary as they sound – I think so often the big medical word can be a bit intimidating, but once you actually experience the procedure you realise there is a lot less to it than you expected. Pleased it was nothing serious – but like you say, so important to get it checked in case you need medical help, avoiding the problem won’t help anyone, especially you! I completely join you in that feeling – it’s so amazing to see the huge leaps in not on treatment but also cures for cancer that have appeared in our lifetimes – really feels like we’re winning the battle against this horrible disease! Thanks for commenting! xx
Sanaa Brooks
Ugh! I couldn’t even read through this whole post because I just kept thinking about my experience! lol I’m pretty sure it was worst than the first time I had sex. (But that may or may not be because (1) I couldn’t relax lol Every time my doc said to relax I tensed up even more (2) She just shoved it in like she could care less if it hurt or not. Ugh! Such a bad experience, especially since it was my first time. But eh … it’s supposed to save our lives right? lol
LucyRuthnum
Oh bless you that sounds awful! You poor thing 🙁 hopefully it was just a one-off and you will get a nicer nurse next time. I totally understand it’s not the most relaxing experience – but do you think knowing more about it all might have helped relax you? Or was the whole situation just too uncomfortable for you? I just wonder if knowing more about it, making it less of a taboo, might help relax women a bit more when having it done…
Sanaa Brooks
Hopefully! lol And not at all, I’m just always tense all the time. So even if I’m relaxed right before it because I know what I’m going into, I’ll still get nervous once I’m there. (It’s like going to an interview lol) I wasn’t nervous about laying there naked, it was the shoving something inside me part. (Especially with her not caring much.)
LucyRuthnum
Ahhh right – bless you, I’m not surprised you weren’t very relaxed if her bedside manner left something to be desired. Hopefully you’ll have a better experience next time and that will make it easier for you to relax in future xx
jennyinneverland
BRILLIANT post Lucy – I’m not in the age range yet for mine but I think the age should definitely 100% be lowered. The benefits of younger girls having this test massively outweigh the risks. I wouldn’t be embarrassed about having one done at all – I’ve been poked and prodded before (by healthcare professionals, not just randoms haha!) so that’s absolutely something that wouldn’t even cross my mind, the only thing I’d worry about are the results! Which is understandable. Well done you for going to get yours done straight away without hesitation – I hope it encourages more girls our age to do the same 🙂 xxx
LucyRuthnum
Thanks Jenny!! 🙂 I totally agree, especially after seeing how many women have died needlessly because it was discovered too late – breaks my heart to hear of them dying just weeks after a dream wedding because they were 22 and too young for the test. It’s madness! Good for you babe – I’m the same, it doesn’t bother me having them poking around – much more important to me to know my lady parts are all working and happy 🙂 haha thanks hon – was so pleased I could get it done before I went away – really didn’t want to have to mwait a year. I was just lucky I managed to get it done immediately – I know how hard it is to get a docs appt and that might put some people off bothering… Me too! 🙂 xxx
Beth
Great post Lucy, I’ve just been for mine and unfortunately have to go back and have it again as they didn’t have enough cells to test but I think it is so important to spread the word and encourage other women to have theirs done like you said, it’s really not as scary as everyone makes out! Well done for speaking up about it xx
LucyRuthnum
Thanks Beth 🙂 Oh no! That’s so annoying for you, my nurse was saying that sometimes that happens, that’s why they try to be as thorough as possible to avoid you having it twice. I really feel for you having to have it again, but like you say, it is so important to have it done that it totally outweighs discomfort for a few minutes really! Thanks for adding another voice to the story – it’s great that so many have commented saying similar things – that its not scary or painful – really will reassure people! Thanks lovely 🙂 xxx
Ashleigh-Jayne O'Connell
I absolutely hated every minute of mine!! I was so glas when it was over. I o think women should be offered a smear test before 25 though. It’s so important and there are many women who find out too late.
LucyRuthnum
Aww you poor thing! Was it painful for you or just awkward/uncomfortable? You’re so right, I don’t understand why it is only 25 and above when it has been shown that younger testing is more beneficial than it is damaging to young wombs!
Ashleigh-Jayne O'Connell
All three really! I’ve had to have 2 in the past 6 months because I had dodgy results too. Good thing as well because that means I’ve had a second one and have an ultrasound booked in. Even if there’s nothing wrong it shows they’e on it.
Exactly, plus girls are having sex younger these days so surely it will be helpful to them to know. They need to know what’s going on up there.
LucyRuthnum
Ahhhh right – you poor thing, that’s unlucky. But so much better to be safe than sorry – I’m sure a smear test is much better than cancer treatment! And like you say, so good to know they are straight on the case – must be very comforting to know they care and will find out if you have anything to be worried about. That’s a really good point – there’s so many young teenage mums who have babies at 15 or 16 and yet they’re not being checked until almost a decade later! That’s crazy – they need to know more about their sexual health so they can be aware of what to look for.
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