'What it’s like to have a smear test in lockdown - as millions at risk of cervical cancer'
screening reminder was posted through my letterbox back in February, but between working long hours and social commitments, I’d managed to make several excuses not to book in straight away.
As it’s a bit of a "postcode lottery", I called my GP surgery last week to find out if they were offering cervical screening at the moment.Cervical cancer screenings have become a bit of a postcode lottery - I was lucky that my GP surgery has been offering smear tests throughout the crisis The surgery is only a few minutes walk away so the next day I left about 10 minutes before as I thought I might have to stand in a socially distanced queue - like the supermarkets.With the surgery locked, I rang the buzzer to let the receptionist know I was here for an appointment.
When I was ready, the nurse came round the curtain and asked me to pull my legs up to my chest before sparking up a fresh conversation - presumably to distract me from what was going on downstairs.And her tactic worked because I barely noticed as she pushed in the plastic speculum and took a scraping from the lining of my cervix.
"But, whatever your age, it’s equally important to be aware of cervical cancer symptoms," Imogen Pinnell, health information manager at Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust told The Sun.The most common and earliest sign of cervical cancer tends to be irregular bleeding.It's an especially alarming sign in postmenopausal women who no longer have periods. There's no age limit to developing cervical cancer.
That's why it's absolutely crucial that you know what changes to look out for and get them tested ASAP.
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