Well I did know about the procedures of smears beforehand so I knew what I was expecting and again it’s part of the fact that instead of looking upon it in a way where it’s embarrassing it’s much more sensible to be looking upon it in a way that it’s a job that, it’s something that really should be done that has to be done to prevent any further problems that is possible and I just knew that I was doing the right thing. And I didn’t want any further problems to occur so I know that doctors can’t prevent these things but they can try and cure if it’s , if whatever there is is caught early enough. So I must admit I’m very, I do make sure that I’m up to date with my smears.

Although I’m quite squeamish I have to say I really don’t find that a bad procedure at all. It seems to me to be extremely quick, totally painless. You can feel somebody doing it but it can’t even come into the category for me of discomfort. I am quite a squeamish person so why I don’t mind that I don’t know. I mean I wouldn’t choose to go and have a smear if you offered me one now, it’s not something you want to have done but it seems to me it’s such a quick and painless procedure. Perhaps I am intolerant but I do find it quite difficult to understand why particularly women in relationships or married would find that a difficult thing to have done. I can understand perhaps why a young girl, or somebody that hasn’t, who is still a virgin might have a difficulty with that but to me it’s not even as bad as giving blood. I don’t particularly like having needles stuck in me but I’ll do that if I think that it’s going to prevent some horrible condition from developing. So perhaps that’s , I would spread the word and I do, I sort of say well it’s such a nothing thing have it done because to have cancer must be so awful and to know that you couldve done something to avoid it.

I’d like to know if I’m getting anything, you know, if anything’s sort of growing there that shouldn’t be really. Obviously it’s for, cancer of the cervix is one of the areas.So obviously that’s, I believe it’s quite a silent cancer. So it’s one that’s not picked up really until it’s quite aggressive, unless you are being screened regularly. So for the sake of going to the doctor, spending about half an hour to get there and to get back, waiting in the waiting room for a two-minute procedure that’s completely painless and no problem, I mean why shouldn’t you go for it?

A lady who lives across the road she actually died of cancer which couldve been prevented and I think that any woman that doesn’t go and have a smear check every 3 years is insane. Because okay nobody likes being with their knickers off and nobody likes that but it is so important that it’s worth 5 minutes of that horrible feeling of exposure just to know that you’re clear.

I think it’s essential that women look after themselves and we must do whatever we can. We, most of us wouldn’t think twice about going to the dentist twice a year to look after our teeth and is that because it’s a visible thing? We have our eyes tested because we need to see to get by and to drive a car but I think you know those hidden things need just as much care and certainly they are more life threatening if they go wrong. I just think it’s our duty to look after ourselves, you only get one chance.

I was 40 before I had my first smear, didn’t want one, didn’t want to go through it, that was something other women did and I sort of buried my head in the sand really I suppose. Then I had a bit of a problem, I can’t remember what it was now and I told a friend of mine and she said “you’ve got to have a smear done”, and I said “no I’m not going to have a smear”. And in the end she made an appointment for me and I went to the GP for my first smear and it was fine. And again it didn’t hurt you know what I thought it was going to.

Why do you go for screening?

Because I’m hoping that if they do find something wrong, it’s better to be caught earlier than, sooner rather than later. And the sooner you find out something’s wrong, the sooner you can have some treatment to hopefully eradicate it. That’s why.

So that embarrassment or that awkwardness, that doesn’t put you off?

No, it doesn’t. I think in my experience it’s not painful, I’m not particularly embarrassed, and it’s just one of those things that you want to get it done to make sure everything is all right. it’s not something you can see that might be wrong from the outside. So you do need to have it done, yes.