Woman who was terrified to get first smear test left with one important question after finally getting it done

I grew up hearing nothing but horror stories about the dreaded smear test.

From older women around me scaring me senseless with chatter about 'MASSIVE, METAL SPECULUMS' to a seemingly relentless conveyor belt of pop culture references to the absolute nightmare going to the gynaecologist is - thank you, Sex and the City.

And the smear test panic is very much so a real-life issue as, according to an AXA Health study, as many as 40% of UK women have avoided a cervical screening due to anxiety about the procedure.

When I was called up for my first-ever cervical screening, I was scared sh*tless (Tyla)

Booking my cervical screening test

So, I found it only statistically natural I was filled with panic when I finally received a letter from the NHS calling me up for my very first cervical screening a few months before my 25th birthday.

Now, booking the actual test itself was a bit of an ordeal considering my first appointment was cancelled due to the nurse being sick.

I booked again for the following week but, lo and behold, I started my period the day of.

Remembering I'd read somewhere something about periods impacting cervical screening results, I called up my GP to double-check it was all A-okay for me to still come in.

The receptionist spluttered a laugh at me when I asked her - something I took as a hard no.

In short, I had to push back my appointment yet another week, telling the woman on the other end of the phone it would have been helpful if the person booking me in for the appointment let me know that ahead of the rescheduled appointment, given that, if I wasn't bleeding the previous week, then there was a very probable chance I'd be bleeding that week.

40% of UK women have avoided a cervical screening due to anxiety about the procedure (Peter Dazeley / Getty Images)

"Well, I don't know what to tell you," she replied, "everyone knows you're not allowed to get a smear test when you're bleeding."

"Well, clearly not everyone," I thought to myself, feeling seriously embarrassed about the whole thing.

Turns out I wasn't alone in this apparent commonly-known piece of medical knowledge as everyone I spoke to about it, bar my mum, seemed just as in the dark as me.

While that was annoying - and the last thing you want to be dealing with on your period when you've already psyched yourself up twice now for something you find frankly terrifying - I was glad it was the last of the drama.

My third-time rescheduled appointment came around in no time, a full month on from my 25th birthday.

Luckily for me, it landed on a sunny Saturday morning.

The anticipation was seriously growing in the waiting room (Tyla)

What happened during the cervical screening test?

I wore the biggest pair of knickers I had, teamed with my baggiest pair of jeans under recommendation of a mate who already had hers done.

I sent a mass text to pretty much every woman in my life telling them the day was finally here to which they all in chorus congratulated me on 'taking control of my health', gushing at how 'empowered' I should feel.

Within less than five minutes in the waiting room, my name was called by the nurse.

I was taken into a private room where she asked me if I was on contraception, the date of my last period and then she walked me through the process after I told her I was feeling a tad nervous about it all.

The nurse explained to me that she would start off my putting lube on the plastic (not metal!) speculum, insert it then 'take five swabs of the cervix'.

She then told me to 'take everything off below the waist' and lie on the table as she pulled back the curtain.

To be absolutely honest with you, I was absolutely bricking it in the waiting room (Tyla)

Nurse's orders

On advice of my mum, I asked the nurse if I could 'take a deep breath' before she inserted the speculum and breathe out what I thought would be the most excruciating pain ever felt.

Nodding, she also instructed me to 'relax my butt cheeks and my thighs as much as possible'.

I didn’t even see the speculum as I was so focussed on my yoga-style breathing looking up at the ceiling, engaging in the inevitable small-talk about the weather and what my plans were for the rest of the day.

While it’s the most transparent trick which is as old of time, it kind of worked as it did take my mind off what was about to happen.

Explaining she was about to do the test, the nurse then inserted the speculum and, don’t get me wrong, it was super cold but it didn’t feel like this massive, scary, medieval vice I’d heard all these horror stories about.

You definitely felt it there but I think the nurse's tips to keep the body from tensing paired with my mum’s tips on breathwork really did work. And, genuinely, not that I was counting, it was actually done within 10 seconds.

Most women avoid their smear test 'due to misconceptions about the screening' (SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images)

Why do so many people put off their cervical screening test?

It left me wondering what all the fuss over it was about in the first place - why did I, and other women, feel so scared?

So, I reached out to Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at AXA Health, who exclusively told Tyla why so many women and people with cervixes avoid their cervical screening when called up for it.

"Most women avoid their smear test due to misconceptions about the screening, anxiety about whether it will hurt and some also have insecurities about their appearance," she explained.

I wanted to know what exactly could be done to ensure more women get their cervical screening done when called up for it, prompting Dr Bradshaw to highlight the importance of 'tackling the underlying issues such as fear and anxiety'.

"There are many ways to make the appointment less daunting, such as bringing a family member or friend or asking for a chaperone," she advised. You can also request a female healthcare professional.

"Watching something on your phone, or listening to a podcast, while you wait to be called for the procedure can also help to take your mind off any feelings of anxiety or worry."

Me right after doing my smear test, if this isn't persuasive then I don't know WHAT is (Tyla)

Final thoughts

As soon as the smear test was done, I put my jeans and shoes back on and I was out the surgery’s door less than 10 minutes of walking in - including the waiting time!

I was told the results would get posted to my door - how vintage - and 'could take anywhere up to six weeks' (they've since arrived within 10 days).

Genuinely, the whole thing was nothing major to report back on.

I’m feeling really empowered and, as my first month as a 25-year-old, I’m really f*cking glad I did it and got it out the way and I cannot stress enough the importance for everyone else to do the same.

"Attending your smear test is really important, so when you receive your invitation it is crucial you book in," Dr Bradshaw explains.

"It can help detect signs of precancerous changes, such as abnormalities, and identify the presence of HPV infections. This means it can reduce the risk of cervical cancer through early detection and ultimately protect your long-term health with just a quick and straightforward procedure."

You can find out more about how to book a cervical screening on the official NHS website here.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.