So nervous about my first pap smear

[coffeegirl89]

I posted this on the cancer forum, but it might be more applicable here

I hope I am on the right forum.

I am terrified of having cervical cancer

I am going to my first pap-smear/pelvic exam in a week and I am so unbelievably nervous. I am 29 years old, I lost my virginity at 22 and have had 5 sexual partners. I had HPV genital warts about 6 years ago, which the gyno gave me cream for and they went away. I am not sure off-hand of cervical cancer running in my family, however I know my great-grandmother had ovarian cancer and my mom had a hysterectomy (I am not sure what the reason was). All of my grand-mothers, great grand-mothers have lived to a very old age. I have never been on birth-control, don't smoke, am otherwise very healthy...I am just so afraid I have cervical cancer. I know I have at least one strand of HPV and I probably have other stands as well. Any support would be so helpful

[Ashlee T.]

Hey girl!

I TOTALLY understand being nervous. While most cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, that does NOT mean that you'll GET cervical cancer just because you have or have had HPV. The important thing with HPV is getting it quickly treated. If not treated, then yes, HPV can cause cells inside the cervix to turn into cancer cells. But it does not mean they WILL turn to cancer cells.

With all that said, do you have any reason to believe you may be ill?

So, here's the thing about a pelvic exam: they're just not that bad. I mean, yeah, it's nerve-wracking to have a doctor poking around on your "private areas", but I have never been pained by it. In fact, it's usually totally painless and over very fast.

If you're super tense, you could have some discomfort, but it shouldn't be anything awful.

[Popcorn&Candy]

I second Ashlee T's post.

It'll be over before you know it and will be painless. You could talk to the nurse doing the pap smear and tell her you're nervous: she'll put you at ease and - as already said - it will be over quickly. Once you've had it the first time, the next time any fear is gone. Remember that the test is there to keep you healthy and detect cancerous cells. Because when they are caught early, treatment is swift and virtually painless. I write this because my mother [now deceased] was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Thankfully she was successfully treated, but if she had not gone for a smear test, she would've died of cervical cancer.

I know you know this already, but do go for the smear. I know you will anyway, but please don't worry too much. You'll be fine and the nurse will put you at ease.