A lot of people will give me crap for this! -Pap smear refusal

[Artifex]

My first post and I am already expecting to get a lot of flac for it but here goes. I am almost four months and still getting set up with a regular Dr. (I have had some counceling appt. and an ultrasound; just where you see, not evasive). But I am sure they are expecting to poke around my insides tommorow with a pelvic exam and I am going to refuse. I have done a lot of research into this just as I have with a lot of other pregnancy issues and have determined that at this time the potential risks to the baby outweigh the very few possible benifits of such an evasive exam. Now I expect to be getting a lot of hate for this in the way of people saying I must not care about my baby or other such crap so save it you can possibly contain yourself. I have noticed that western medicine (USA especially) is super obsessed with turning pregnant women into lab rats (not just pregnant women but many other citizens as well) and I just don't buy all the canned crap advice that has been thrown at me (usually by corn-fed idiots). There are places where a pelvic exam during pregnancy would be looked at as insane and very risky so why are we not informed of the possible risks for infection, risks of miscarrage and other risks that are in reality a lot higher than the very risks of rare birth defects detected by these evasive tests? Everyone loves to spit out numbers of how many babies may be born with this or that but they never tell you what number of births they are comparing their study to and they also don't tell you how many of those mothers were at higher risks to begin with. Am I the only one who is sick of all the Fu**ing scare tactics or are most people just happy believing everything they are told with no investigations of their own? When the information is out there I refuse to just believe what is widly known or accepted as truth. Does anyone else feel anything like this on any level or am I the weird one for not blindly believing everything I am told. . .
Any unbrainwashed opinion appriciated.
-J.

 

[Madwolf3]

I'm not totally sure on everything you said (got a little confused) but to some degree I totally understand! In Kansas, the first thing they do when you get pregnant is a pap, which pisses me off!!! They do STD testing with it, along with the blood work. Which pisses me off cuz I'm married and faithful, and I don't need the damn STD testing! They even scraped my cervix when I was 11 weeks pregnant!!!!!! Is that not STUPID??? But I moved, and now am pregnant again. My OB here said he won't do an exam at all, until late in pregnancy just to check my cervix. Which was a HUGE relief, cuz if they'd tried to do a pap I would have told them HELL NO. STD testing is an insult to me unless I ask for it! I KNOW I'm clean and so is my hubby and to try to make me do the test is to suggest there is no faithfullness in my marriage! But also- don't assume you'll get shit here. These girls are SO NICE, and not to mention most are from other countries where they DON'T do an internal exam during pregnancy, so I'm sure they'll understand!

 

[Artifex]

thankyou so much! I finally realized the whole reason I have felt so crazy the last few weeks is because of all the scarey stuff people tell pregnant women and now that I have reached out and looked for information to make my own decisions I feel more in control. I might just fight my way through this and come out the winner
-J.

 

[Samo]

Not sure why you'd get shit for not wanting a pap?? It's your choice if you want one or not i would think! Doctors can't make you get one! Good for you for standing up for what you believe . Maybe some Doctors want to milk your insurance for $$? lol or some are just overly zealous.

@ Madwolf, i understand how Doctor's suggesting you need an STD test yearly and such seems like an insult, as you're married and are totally faithful, i feel the same way! But there are some cases, be they rare, where you can pick up STDs and such from public seating! Whether it be seating in a restaurant, or a public toilet. I'm a bit of a health freak lol i am always weary of where i sit out in public.

 

[tinytoes]

OK CRAP alert....


a pap smear isnt so invasive - if you're pregnant they'll take extra care and not poke around too deep. Really, it's important to get health checkups, internal and external. I had mine in teh first few weeks when baby was lower down - no problem.

And now you're 4 months baby is safely up a bit - I would suggest you do this for both of your benefits.

 

[Serene123]

I wasn't offered one because my hospital doesn't give them to pregnant people. I think they'd rather not risk it

 

[cupcake]

wasnt offered one either, infact ive never ever had one

 

[JessNJeremy]

Ultimately of course it is your choice. But I also had one done because my last pap was abnormal and this one was abnormal as well so I had to have a colposcopy to take a closer look at the abnormal cells. They do mostly serve a purpose and can be helpful.
Kudos to you though for speaking up to your doctor Alot of people always assume that "doctor knows best" but sometimes they just stick to routines and don't just do what is necessary.

 

[tinytoes]

if you're worried about smear tests would you also refuse a vagnal scan?

IT's all poking about in there?...

 

[Serene123]

A pap smear is from your cervix isn't it? A vaginal scan doesn't touch your cervix, or so the woman told me!

 

[leeanne]

As much as a pap smear is not fun, it is necessary. Actually, I will be getting mine done today. About 7 years ago I had precancerous cells on my cervix and I am glad that they caught it at that time. I may not have had two beautiful children and this baby on the way.

As for the bloodwork, which I had done yesterday, I think it's important that one knows they don't have a sexually transmitted disease, or hepatitus or HIV. I have been with my hubby for almost 10 years but one never knows. I've heard of cases where a husband has been unfaithful and gave an STD to his wife and even pregnant wives.

Doesn't it feel better in the end to know that you don't have cervical cancer and/or STDs?

 

[Jules]

I don't think its common practice over here in the UK when pregnant to have pap tests/ vaginal scans, i have never been offered one whilst i have been pregnant......

I did however have a pap test on the day i found i was pregant, in the morning and i found out in the afternoon that i was pregnant. The reason i had this was because for the last few years everytime i had a pap test done it came back with abnormal cell readings, so i figured its best to keep having them done, make sure it didn't develop into anything more... from that test though it came back as normal so glad i had done and my mind put to rest.

Its all of course down to what you want but pap tests are nothing to worry about its over and done with within five minutes, and is uncomfortable for about two seconds when they do the scraping thing.

As for having bloods done which includes HIV testing, me and my OH have been together over 5 years and we have always been faithful to each other, but thought it wouldn't harm to have them done

 

[Artifex]

if you're worried about smear tests would you also refuse a vagnal scan?

IT's all poking about in there?...

-At this point I will be refusing to have anything longer than three inches or wider than 1.5in stuck in there. I have bled before with papsmears and I have never been pregnant or had surgeries of any kind; I am pretty small in there. As for abnormal paps, your chances of having a false one (where the results come up bad when nothing is actually wrong) -are sky high and most the time even if there is something wrong there wont be a damn thing that can be done about it till after the baby is born anyway. (several midwives have stated this I have looked around). -I was however just waiting for someone to say something so I am not shocked at all.
I may change my mind later and will be going to Dr.s regularly and plan to even switch until I am comfortable with that person; perhaps at that point and at that stage I will go ahead and let them do something like that, untill then at least I have regained the tinest shred of sanity that will be needed.
-J.

 

[Jules]

I don't think i will get one done again whilst i am pregnant, totally understand you on that account, and like you said they wouldn't be able to treat you probably anyway until after pregnancy. But definately have regular checkups afterwards, better to be safe then sorry x

 

[Artifex]

-Oh, and in the US you are treated as a freak for not getting a pap during pregnancy! I am so glad to be getting opinions from other places, I seriously think the US has some pretty crazy ideas about medicine and has lobotomized society to agree with all they say. that of course would be another topic. . .

 

[Madwolf3]

LOL well keep an eye out- I'm thinking of starting a post on all the differences I've learned on this site- from words used to cultural differences between here and the UK! You'd be suprised.... wish I could move over there!

 

[Always&4ever]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Deise]

-At this point I will be refusing to have anything longer than three inches or wider than 1.5in stuck in there.

Im assuming that includes your significant other's "you know what" if thats how you rationalize it. Pap smears are for precancerous cell detection, not a nuissance.

 

[Mantha3]

OH my... oh my... oh my! I don't really like to get too involved in this kind of threads but I will give my experience as I am American but live in Belgium. I have had a child in the US and Belgium (this will be my second in Belgium). And would like to give you the differences I have seen from both my experiences. Keep in mind Belgium is located next to France and I had my baby in the US 6-7 years ago. In the US I was never giving a vaginal ultrasound, in Belgium I am still to this day at 22 weeks. In the US I was giving one pap at the begining to check for cancer cells and STD's (this is normal procedure because if you have some STD's you can't give birth vaginally). I was also given this in Belgium. In the US I didn't get anymore papsmears during my pregnancy until I hit about my 8th month.. they then did an exam to check if I was dilating (which I was). In Belgium I am examined every visit, I also have my blood taken every month to check for toxoplasmosis and my pee is checked for infection, etc. Starting the third trimester I will be monitored for contractions, every visit. So...... that is my experience. When you research things.. are you researching off the net? If so becareful what you read.

 

[coccyx]

You can find statistics to support any opinion if you look hard enough. Not routinely given a smear in UK when pregnant. Would not be insulted if they wanted to check blood for hiv or syplillis, they are taking blood anyway. You can always say no ! Can't say people are brainwashed just because their opinion differs from yours