Girls Room

[KaitieL]

I thought you were supposed to have them every two years, but not sure how long after you first become sexually active. They used the same thing they use for a pap smear when I was in labour to check if my water's had broken. It was a female doctor, but it didn't make a difference to me. A male doctor delivered my son. I think you can pick. It doesn't hurt, it's just uncomfortable.

[Di]

Here are a couple of links to, all you questions about Cervical Screeing and all NHS Cancer Screening programmes.

I have been having them for years. I assumed it was when you turned 18yrs old. Its not

You are usually 25yrs old, when you have your first smear test.

Cancer Screeing programmes

Cervical screening

[Frogg]

The whole issue is something that's started to play on my mind after the news about Jade Goody having cervical cancer. How do we know when we're supposed to start having smear tests? Someone told me that it's as soon as you're sexually active, but then someone else said that it's later if you're on the pill (which I am). I thought women in the uk were meant to receive letters advising them on the correct time to go?

I work in cervical screening in the uk. Here we automatically send letters to all females registered with a doctor at some point during the year they turn 25. If you are aged between 25 - 50 you will need to go every 3 years and if you are aged between 50 - 64 (and had your last smear over the age of 50) you will need to have a test every 5 years. Of course if you have an inadequate smear and a result cannot be determined you will be called again in 3 months or if your smear comes back with any changes or problems you will either be refered for further investigation/treatment at the hospital or you would be put on a shorter 6 month or 12 month recall to keep an eye on any changes.

Hope that helps.

[Eli]

I think I need some advice. Maybe.

There's this guy I've been having a crush on since like June... To make a long story short I met him through some friends. He's friends with my friend's (now ex) girlfriend, and we met through them. Anyway, he's this really nice guy, and pretty attractive as well, and he's single. The problem is that now that my friend and her ex girlfriend have broken up, we don't really have any opportunities to hang out together. I mean, we say hello to each other at school, but it's not like we'll just stop and catch up, cause we don't know each other very well. The other problem is that he's a year younger than me, which means by the high school social code he's not someone I, as a senior would be interested in. This means that in order to get that point across I'd have to flirt like a maniac, which leads us to the next problem: I suck. I mean, I really suck at EVERYTHING that has to do with flirting. Either I get too shy, or I come on too strongly.

Am I asking for advice or just having a rant? I'm not really sure to be honest, but if you have any brilliant ideas I'd love to hear them.

Oh, and funny thing... One of the classes in my school is sort of a mix of two classes. Their first year they were called 1SFA, their second year 2STFA, and now the school administration got the brilliant idea to change it again; this time to 3STD.

That's unfortunate...

[Frogg]

Oh, and funny thing... One of the classes in my school is sort of a mix of two classes. Their first year they were called 1SFA, their second year 2STFA, and now the school administration got the brilliant idea to change it again; this time to 3STD.

That's unfortunate...

Thats brilliant!!!!

As to advise: Would you be able to get your friend and his ex back together??? That could benefit both of you. Or you could organise a get together under the guise of getting them back together but instead its really to hang with your guy. Letting him know how you feel could be more tricky. You could start by adding him on myspace/facebook and then maybe writing on his wall. Then if conversation is good ask for his msn and you keep having small chats on msn in the evenings until you feel confident enough to tell him how you feel. That way you can flirt and be honest and really get to know him but without the awkwardness face to face contact and in an environment where you can think about what your going to say to him before you say it.

[Eli]

Hehe, yeah I didn't think about it at first, but then I was going to tell my friend they had changed the name of that class, so I was like "Oh, yeah but they're not called 3STFA, they're called- Oh my God, I just realized something! This is TOO FUNNY!"

All the English geeks (I'm one of them) thought it was very funny when I told them, and it's quickly becoming one of the English class jokes of the year

Or as my friend likes to put it "Well, maybe it's a good idea to gather them in the same class and warn the others?"

As for the advice, first of all; thanks. I doubt getting them back together will work though, my friend broke up with her girlfriend because it didn't work, and they agreed they wouldn't continue the relationship because they wanted different things...

My friend is aware of my crush though, so there's some hope there because she knows him a little better... But i don't want to push her or ask her to help me since he's like my friend's ex' best friend (whoa, how soap opera am I?! )

The facebook thing is an idea though. I have him both my facebook and nettby (a Norwegian social networking site) friend list... Maybe I should leave him a comment... I just need to think about something to say

[KaitieL]

Just go for it. You're not going to get anywhere by sitting back and getting shy. I know it's easier than it sounds, I'm the same. I get really shy and can't even bring myself to talk to them. But you're wasting time. He could be interested as well, but because he thinks you're not, he'll start to move on. And he probably thinks that you were only hanging out with him is because you had to.

The facebook thing sounds like a good idea. When you do say hello to him, stop and carry on the conversation a bit. You have to start somewhere and the more you wait around the more chance he'll move on.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but it sounds like you need a little push. Hope it all goes well for you and let us know how things work out.

[~Lynd~]

I agree with everyone else,just tell him.You'll feel better then if you leave it and he finds someone else.I know what that's like and it sucks.

[claire_louise]

I work in cervical screening in the uk. Here we automatically send letters to all females registered with a doctor at some point during the year they turn 25. If you are aged between 25 - 50 you will need to go every 3 years and if you are aged between 50 - 64 (and had your last smear over the age of 50) you will need to have a test every 5 years. Of course if you have an inadequate smear and a result cannot be determined you will be called again in 3 months or if your smear comes back with any changes or problems you will either be refered for further investigation/treatment at the hospital or you would be put on a shorter 6 month or 12 month recall to keep an eye on any changes.

Thank you, that's really helpful. So the letters don't go out to women under 25, even though it's recommended that you start having smears as soon as you become sexually active? That seems like a very inadequate system (no disrespect to you) considering that girls in this country lose their virginity at an average age of 17.

[Pierced Musie]

In honour of our dear Frankie I attended my first Ann Summers party...

*coughandboughtsometoyscough*

Edited to Add: To explain, in this thread Frankie was the representative of toys along with others.