The Student Room Group

Smear at 25?

One for the girls on here.....are any of you worried that the NHS don't offer us smears until 25 now? I feel that is quite old and am thinking about requesting one within the next couple of years (I'm 19). Is it worthwhile going now? I prefer tobe cautious but several friends keep telling me we're too young to be at risk from cervical cancer?! Am very unsure about this- but don't want to get to 25 and wish I'd been more forceful earlier on!

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Reply 1
You are really too young to be at risk from it. Plus there's an increased risk of false positives and therefore unnecessary treatment. They wouldn't just raise the age for fun if it wasn't safe!
I tried to request one and i am the same age as you and they refused so i wouldn't bother even trying. They (as Helenia said) won't not check us if they thought we were at risk
Reply 3
You're supposed to start getting smears/STD tests when you become sexually active.
Tag
You're supposed to start getting smears/STD tests when you become sexually active.


If this was true then why would my doctor refuse to give me one even though i am sexually active (and have been for over 18 months), until i am 25?

As for STI tests, you should have them before you do anything without protection (that includes oral sex), and so should your partner
My doctor sent me a letter about getting one done when I was 20, but I think that was because I was on the pill.... Thought there was something about if you're senually active and over 20, or am I just making that up?
It's younger in Wales... 20 I think.
Reply 7
Yeah, its 20 in Wales.
How come they have raised the age limit in England but not in Wales?
Reply 8
Don't know :confused:

I'm in the UK, am on the pill and am sexually active, and was still told it would be 25 when I enquired about it. Though I will be living in France by then and I don't know what their policy is or even if my medical records will be transferred :s-smilie:
I used to get letters telling me to go for one but I kind of just ignored them. Now they've raised the age to 25 so I still haven't had one (I'm 23).

Little bizarre that I've got almost 2 kids and still haven't had a smear *shrugs* but there we go.
Reply 10
I had one when I was about 19, but that was just because I had a cervical infection and had been bleeding after sex.

I havent heard anything since, and Im 23 now. Last time I went to see my nurse she said I wouldnt get an 'invite' to go until I was 25.

Im not particularly worried about it though, if I thought I needed one though I would go and see my GP and see what they said.
Reply 11
But why exactly would it be so bad to get a few extra false positives, Helenia? Just a bit of NHS money "wasted" checking someone's health (which is what NHS money is essentially for), and even the extra worry for the person concerned - well, I'm sure they'd rather know if they have cervical cancer or not as early as possible. Unnecessary worry is clearly not their real concern, it's all about money.

I think it's just a ridiculous cost-saving operation at the expense of the sexual health of British women, that for some reason the government is being allowed to get away with. But that's just my two cents...:rolleyes:
In America, it's recommended that you get one either when you're 18 or when you become sexually active, whichever comes first.
Reply 13
I suppose every govt makes the decision as to what is safe and what isn't. Australians are advised to get them every 2 yrs when you become sexually active, and we're bombarded with info, reminders, health advertising in the press about it. A couple of my mates have had pre cancerous cells burnt off which is pretty scary but I'm glad they caught it!
I'm 20 and wouldn't mind having one now to make sure everything is ok. I have been sexually active for about 18 months myself. My mum said they used to start doing smear tests as soon as they were sexually active. She had her 1st smear at 19. They have raised the age a lot. They say the risk of cervical cancer is increased if you don't use a condom but I have never had sex without one so thats not an issue.
sssh
But why exactly would it be so bad to get a few extra false positives, Helenia? Just a bit of NHS money "wasted" checking someone's health (which is what NHS money is essentially for), and even the extra worry for the person concerned - well, I'm sure they'd rather know if they have cervical cancer or not as early as possible. Unnecessary worry is clearly not their real concern, it's all about money.

I think it's just a ridiculous cost-saving operation at the expense of the sexual health of British women, that for some reason the government is being allowed to get away with. But that's just my two cents...:rolleyes:


Of course everyone would want to know early on whether or not they had cervical cancer but the risks of actually having it under the age of 25 are probably so low that checking every single woman under that age would be impractical, and a waste of time, money and resourses. Checking hundreds of thousands of women perhaps for one or two genuine cases is probably viewed as not being worth it by the NHS.

I know its not a nice thing to say when put like that and it isnt ideal ofcourse, but thats just the reality of the NHS unfortunatly.

The changes wont effect most women in the slightest which is why these changes will have been introduced. If a significant number of women were at risk then the age wouldnt have been increased. I would also have thought that the attendance rate of women under 25 to these appointments would be quite low anyway.

I think a better system would be to perhaps keep it at 25, but preform the test to those who want or request it. I think its wrong that women should be turned down if they ask for it.
Reply 16
PinkMobilePhone
I used to get letters telling me to go for one but I kind of just ignored them. Now they've raised the age to 25 so I still haven't had one (I'm 23).

Little bizarre that I've got almost 2 kids and still haven't had a smear *shrugs* but there we go.

:blank:
Reply 17
I thought they recommended that you started having smear tests 3 years after you become sexually active???
Reply 18
louisedotcom
Of course everyone would want to know early on whether or not they had cervical cancer but the risks of actually having it under the age of 25 are probably so low that checking every single woman under that age would be impractical, and a waste of time, money and resourses. Checking hundreds of thousands of women perhaps for one or two genuine cases is probably viewed as not being worth it by the NHS.

I know its not a nice thing to say when put like that and it isnt ideal ofcourse, but thats just the reality of the NHS unfortunatly.

The changes wont effect most women in the slightest which is why these changes will have been introduced. If a significant number of women were at risk then the age wouldnt have been increased. I would also have thought that the attendance rate of women under 25 to these appointments would be quite low anyway.

I think a better system would be to perhaps keep it at 25, but preform the test to those who want or request it. I think its wrong that women should be turned down if they ask for it.


I beg to differ, I think it's worse to keep women in ignorance of the availability of these tests when other countries can manage to perform these tests perfectly well. It's actually quite creepy that they'd rather we didn't know.. I don't see why the NHS shouldn't be able to cope with it.

I don't know the exact numbers, but I would have thought it was cheaper to give younger women tests than to treat cervical cancer, but obviously I can't support this argument with any statistics, it's just an idea. Still, the strongest argument against it is it'd be good for us to get them at a younger age...
Well I've been sexually active for 4 years, and for the majority of that time have not used a condom (long term relationship) and I'm almost 23 but still haven't been invited for a smear...