Smear test/internal exam?
 

First of all I'm sorry I have 3 threads going but they all seem to be about different subjects!

I have to have my first ever smear test/internal exam soon and I'm sooooo scared.

What happens, what should I expect?

Do you think I should get my normal dr (who deals with my meds) to do it or go to a different (female) one?

This is really freaking me out.

Okay when i had mine I went to the family planning clinic and a female nurse did it for me. I would suggest that option if your'e scared. I was PETRIFIED! And they're really good. i had to tell them why i was so scared so they could help. They're really good about it though. *hugs*

do you have to.....like...take all your bottom half off, in front of them.....and just stand there?
(i'll add a trig label to this thread now i think)
cos that freaks me out.

Nope, they leave you for a few minutes to undress and wrap the paper robe/sheet around yourself. Then they will help you keep covered until it is time for them to actually examine those parts, then cover you up again. Then they will leave so you can dress.

If the doc is a man, there should be a female nurse as a chaperone. If not, you can ask for one. She will stand at your head or something, not be looking at the part of you that is being examined. The first time, my sis went with me and she made a point of holding my hand, then showing my engagement ring to the nurse-chaperone.

If you're that scared ask that there be 2 female nurses in the room with you, one to do the exam and the other to hold your hand?

I had two! One held my hand and I had a MAJOR panic attack and they were so good and just talked me through it. You undress behind a curtain and then cover yourself with a towel. You WILL be okay. Do you have any friends that you trust enough to come with you? I had a social worker who's helped me in the past come with me. lol she had to stand in front of the door to stop me bolting! She sat behind the curtain and talked to me as well as the nurse and stuff.

no friends here who could come with me. my counsellors office is close so she could *possibly* come but i dunno, i think that might be weird. (thats if im even still seeing her).
arghhhhhhhhhhhh stupid tests.

They are hard. I have to go back for another... i'm overdue. I haven't booked it yet >.<

Ask your counsellor? I don't think going on your own is a good idea unless you're going to be okay

I haven't had one in much too long. Don't know that I will be able to for a while either. Sigh. *hides*

- that's a good idea, i can book double appointments so i will do that.

my normal dr is a lady, but i don't know if it would be weird having her do it as she knows me quite well and i don't know if I could handle her doing it (sound weird?)


:crying:

i wonder how long it will take me to actually go and do this, lol. probably months. actually i might leave it till after the summer holidays (dec/jan). hmm, sounds like a good plan.....

sorry for reminding you you're overdue girlies.

YOu didn't remind me lol i got a letter in the mail... whihc i'm ignoring *couhg* and then someone at work mentioned that she's got to have hers too! Was kinda funny really :P

They'll give you a pad after if you need it. It's okay. :) *cuddles* my reccomendation is to do it right away otherwise you stress and it gets much worse!

Hon, I'm in the same situation - I have to have an internal when I go to hospital to have the baby and I'm scared too.

I was advised to talk to the nurse (midwife in my case, obviously) and tell them why you're worried. Also, ask them to explain every part of the procedure as it's done, so you feel more in control, and arrange with them to stop if you need to. Just feeling that you have a bit of control should hopefully help (that's what my keyworker keeps telling me ;-))

eek me havent been to one yet either >< always been to scared!

shame we live the other side of the world to each other cos we could hold each others hand and DEF stay up the head end :)

good luck sweetie xx

^ that would be good, but noooooo, stupid long distances!

Ragdoll, thanks for the advice. I'll def try to get as much info as possible, hopefully it won't put me off even more :S

get the dr to explain to you what she will be doing and then ask again when she is actually doing the exam

Hey, I'm not around here much but wanted to show my support. I thoroughly second the advice above that the worry beforehand is SO much worse than the actual thing. I personally found it better to have a female do it. They were professional and, aside from the fact I was naked from the waist down, I remembered that I was probably the god knows what number vagina she had seen that day lol. But seriously, now I've had one I will not worry like I did. And I did not have any kind of bleeding afterwards. I would also add that you really should try for that double appointment time so you can have a little chat first to calm down.
Just go for it hun, talk to people in order to take control. Silence makes everything a million times worse. One minute of realising that you're 'just another vagina' is so much more preferable to the health risks of not getting a smear.
Autumn xxx

Sorry, me again. I wasn't skirting the issue of why you're scared...just would be rude for me to give advice on something I have not experienced so was just trying to say how the actual test was xxx

thank you :)
i'm sure i;ll get round to it one day.....lol.
:S

I just had a talk with a lady from sexual health today and she is going to e-mail me next week about mine. I'm getting it done prety soon. If I can do it, you can do it! *hugs*

i dont know if a nurse can do the internal exam, so you may have to see a dr for that.

vicky, i didnt have to have many internals - only 3, one when i came in, one 3 hours later and one when i told her i needed to push, they try to leave it 4hrs between exams, they're not too bad and your mind is more occupied with the pain of contractions and getting your baby out. in my case i wanted the exams coz i wanted to know how far along i was.
mand x