myTake on Pap Smears (Possibly TMI for men, you have been warned)

Many women believe that Pap Smears are an essential part of womanhood and that their vaginal health DEPENDS on the Gynecologist.

This is most definitely, not the case.

I'm sure that every woman is afraid/terrified/embarassed by getting this procedure done every so often, which is obvious, because seriously, what isn't absolutely HORRIFYING about having cold utensils stuck up your vajayjay by a man you don't know to test if you have possible diseases? So I did my own research on whether or not this is actually necessary.

To get to the point, let's start with the first and possibly most important reason NOT to get a Pap Smear;

Pap Smears have a 67% innacuracy rate.

It's true. The majority of Pap Smears give back INCORRECT results. Isn't that what we go through this for, to know for sure that we're healthy?

Let's take a look at the second reason, NOT to get a Pap Smear.

Pap Smears can actually HARM you in so many ways, such as:

Cervical Stenosis which can lead to:

- Endometriosis
- Infertility
- Hematometra
- Pyometra
- Menstrual dysfunction such as no periods (amenorrhea)
- Painful periods (dysmenorrhea)
- Haemorrhage from the cervix
- Cervical incompetence
- Difficulties during labour
- Miscarriages
- High risk pregnancy
- Premature babies
- C-sections plus
- Psychological issues as well as
- Loss of sexual sensitivity

Does that not make you feel a little unneasy? I know it certainly doesn't make me feel good. Why are we risking all of this for a test that is innacurate 67% of the time?

To make matters worse, we have been convinced by docters that if we don't get this test we are at the highest risk of cervical cancer.

Is it just me, or does that seem a little illogical? Like really, either we are at high risk or not, whether or not we get a Pap Smear does not change that fact (except prossibly negatively).

Cervical Cancer risk factors include:

- Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection: This is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer
- Smoking
- Weak immune system: From HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection or medicines
- Taking birth control pills
- Chlamydia infection
- Having 3 or more full-term pregnancies
- Giving birth before age 17
- Your mother taking the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) while she was pregnant with you
- Having a mother or sister who had cervical cancer
- Being overweight or obese increases the risk of one kind of cervical cancer (adenocarcinoma)

So, basically, if you haven't slept with untrusted men (or any men at all), haven't taken birth control pills, or aren't obese, the chances of you getting cervical cancer are pretty slim to none. Actually, it's next to impossible.

"The virus that causes cervical cancer is spread through sexual contact. The best way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection is to not have sex. If you do have sex, practice safer sex, such as using condoms and limiting the number of sex partners you have."

So why are women who only have had one trusted partner or no partners at all getting Pap Smears? I guess an important part of avoiding cervical cancer is to just not be a sl*t. (Pardon my langauge).

Here we have a piece from cancer.org on HPV:

"HPV is very common. As we have said, most people who have had sex have had HPV. Many young women (younger than 30) will have HPV. These infections
are more likely to go away in younger women. These HPVs do not need to be detected because they will not cause any harm. If a young woman is tested and found to have HPV, then she’s likely to have more tests and more appointments, which could cause her to be anxious and worry. Also, she will have tests for an HPV that would not have caused her any problems, and these tests could cause side effects that she would not want."

May I just say that stress is the most common indirect cause of cancer? Think about it, how much stress are you feeling the hours leading up to your pap smear and the anxiousness you feel waiting for your, most likely, innacurate results? Stress causes a person to do things such as smoke, overeat, and drink exceedingly large amounts of alcohol, which all contribute to a higher risk of cancer.

"Psychological stress describes what people feel when they are under mental, physical, or emotional pressure. Although it is normal to experience some psychological stress from time to time, people who experience high levels of psychological stress or who experience it repeatedly over a long period of time may develop health problems (mental and/or physical).

Stress can be caused both by daily responsibilities and routine events, as well as by more unusual events, such as a trauma or illness in oneself or a close family member. When people feel that they are unable to manage or control changes caused by cancer or normal life activities, they are in distress. Distress has become increasingly recognized as a factor that can reduce the quality of life of cancer patients. There is even some evidence that extreme distress is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Clinical guidelines are available to help doctors and nurses assess levels of distress and help patients manage it."

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/stress-fact-sheet

Here above is more information on how stress can effect a persons health.

Now obviously, if you have had numorous sexual partners, have been an avid smoker, gave birth before 17, or your mother took DES while pregnant with you, then you have perfect reason to be tested with a pap smear. But most of the time, these examples are not the case.

If you don't feel that these apply to you, then you definitely do not need a pap smear.

A lot of women will get HPV in their life but almost none of them will get cervical cancer. By taking the Pap Smear you are putting yourself in more danger than you were in before taking it, just for different reasons.

I'd really appreciate other womens opinions on this because it has been torturing me for years.

Docters convince us of needing so many things we truly don't need, so isn't it obvious this could be one?

Sources:

https://www.choosingwisely.org/patient-resources/pap-tests/

https://womenagainststirrups.proboards.com/thread/70/harmful-consequences-pap-smears (read this)

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer-topic-overview?page=2

https://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-043803.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_cancer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pap_test