 |
Well that was me about a year ago, but then I just got the job done and over with a few months back, which I will tell you about in this post.
The eligible age was raised from 20 to 25 in 2003 and I heard recently that a lot of tests that were done under the age of 25 were discarded and would not be tested by labs due to them being under the age of 25. This was due to an overwhelming response, especially following the Big Brother star Jade Goody's battle.
I personally think the age should have remained at 20 years old, especially when you read the likes of this,
'Research does show that the contraceptive pill increases the risk of developing cervical cancer. But it is important to remember that this increase in risk is small. And if you have regular cervical screening, cervical cancer can be prevented.'
Cancer Research UK
Women as young as 15 are using the contraceptive pill and so for this reason I think the age should be left at 20 for cervical screening.
I was reading Company magazine and saw some interesting stats as to why people avoid smears, made me laugh actually,
- 28% would refuse a smear if a man was performing it, although some found it a more comfortable experience.
- 1 in 10 were worried the tester would think they were hairy or their vagina looks weird.
- 1 in 5 would like smears combined with STI testing.
- 8% were scared they would smell down there.
