Smear Tests

[Govangirl]

I know the Jade Goody thread turned out to be controversial and so quite rightly a new thread was started about celebrities but I think the main topic to come out of the original thread is about screening and prevention.

Jade Goody sadly admitted that she ignored her doctor's letters asking her to go for a follow-up after her abnormal smear in order to go on to India's Big Brother. It shocked me senseless when I read the percentage of young women who don't go for smears. Why is that? One good thing to come out of Goody's plight is the massive awareness of cervical smears in these young women. Now, I realise anyone at all can get cervical cancer but it's a fact that the more sexual partners one has, the higher chance of getting it. Statistics show that young women are becoming sexually active at a younger age so should we not be reducing the age for a smear test to 20? I believe it's already 20 in Scotland but 25 in England!
Cervical cancer kills about 1,000 women a year, many of them young. Young women of Jade's generation and background have been influenced by her story way beyond politicians or medical advisors could. How else can we reach these women?

[the ice maiden]

I know that the schools here start introducing sex education in primary 6. They spread the topics over year 6 and 7. I know that I was quite shocked when I discovered just how much detail they go into and the various topics covered. One of these being std's. I think it is correct for them to do this as more and more children are becoming sexually active at a younger age, and also many young girls are starting their periods far younger. Self examination, smear tests etc. should be brought into this education. I know we try to have an open house when it comes to things like this, but not everyone is the same. I remember when I got my sex ed I came home and told my mum-she told me that it was a lot of rubbish and not to listen to it, because she was of the generation that you didn't talk openly about it.
Awareness days and leaflets provided in school would be a help, so would special clinic days where all females are there for the same thing.
I know that when I got a smear a few years ago, I was told that they thought that I not be able to have a family, luckily that was proved wrong, but it did help in the detection of endometriosis.

[blueboyno1]

I know that the schools here start introducing sex education in primary 6. They spread the topics over year 6 and 7. I know that I was quite shocked when I discovered just how much detail they go into and the various topics covered. One of these being std's. I think it is correct for them to do this as more and more children are becoming sexually active at a younger age, and also many young girls are starting their periods far younger. Self examination, smear tests etc. should be brought into this education. I know we try to have an open house when it comes to things like this, but not everyone is the same. I remember when I got my sex ed I came home and told my mum-she told me that it was a lot of rubbish and not to listen to it, because she was of the generation that you didn't talk openly about it.
Awareness days and leaflets provided in school would be a help, so would special clinic days where all females are there for the same thing.
I know that when I got a smear a few years ago, I was told that they thought that I not be able to have a family, luckily that was proved wrong, but it did help in the detection of endometriosis.

Just my opinion ,but i think the reason kids are becoming sexually active at so early an age is because of sex education.I think it highlights it and makes them want to try it .We never got any sex education when i was young and there was not near as many cases of std or school pregnancies .I may be wrong but that is the way i see it .

[ionnsaigh]

Perhaps the answer is a self testing smear kit - along with appropriate education, on the importance of it's use - to be made freely available in secondary schools. I feel that embarrassment may be a contributing factor, to those women who fail to have the test. Self testing would help negate any potential anxieties, of someone poking around down there. Of course being a man I don't have to undergo this procedure, and to perfectly honest don't quite know for sure - the procedure itself. Does it involve scraping the cervix ? We know that both cervical and prostrate cancers are treatable, if identified in the early stages of development. Yet we have lost millions of people to these killers, I suspect ignorance at times fueled by religions, that see's sexual desire - as being in some way sinful - take central stage - in many of these tragic and unnecessary cases. My God that wee lassie is a virgin type thing - lets not talk about her vagina or his penis - this attitude only adds to our failings at prevention. Sex education, contrary to blueboyno1's view wont encourage sexual behavior - we can safely leave that to sexual desire. Education is vitally important, for what is after all - a perfectly normal function, in our young people.

[blueboyno1]

ionnsaigh--dont know what age you are -judging by the amount of post and subjects you answer i would guess about two days older than santa claus (joke honest)) .When i went to school during the fifties and sixties there was no sex education .We were told by our parents what it was all about and most of us listened to them .I never once in they days heard of a teenage pregnancy or a teenager having an std,Young people nowadays are way beyond their age ,both in attitude and dress ,as for sexual desire ,most girls then never took care of themselves or dressed the same as today and all you ever got was blue knickers ,wellie marks and a smell of urine ,not a great aphrodisiac.I am all in favour of smear tests to try and wipe out this dreadful disease ,but i still think we are far to open in schools nowadays ,not just with this but with everything.Some young girls think a pram is a fashion accessory.Again just my opinion .

[Ags]

I think we have to be open in schools and try to educate the kids who are maturing faster than ever. Not just in the way they dress and act but I know of a few girls my daughters age who have started their period.....at 10!! It's so young!!
Primary 6 have just finished their first block of sex education. Parents were invited along beforehand to view the materials being used and voice their concerns. The materials were really good for the age group though my wee pet doesn't want to discuss it with me at all because "it's weird"!! The parents were told by the school nurse who does their lessons that the P6's aren't quite at the giggly, embarrassed stage so take it all in like wee sponges. Hopefully if STD's are included in the P7 block of sex education, smear tests will be too!!

[£3.73]

I'm not a farmer, and I claim to know very little about it ... however there have been numerous reports over the years about growth hormones used in rearing beasts for increased yield and or/getting them to market more quickly .... and speculation as to the interesting the interesting effects on humanity as/if it makes it's way through the food chain.

I'm obviously not an expert on periods either

[Malky]

Growth promoting chemicals were banned in Europe in 1988 and animals entering the food chain are randomly tested for these chemicals.

Malky

[bill]

When i went to school during the fifties and sixties there was no sex education

We must be about the same age blueboy as I too went to school during the 50s/60s,leaving in 1963.I went to the Campbeltown Grammar and I can remember having sex education in my final year.If I remember correctly it was just the once,and it was not presented by one of the permanent staff.I definitely recall that it was a woman,and it was boys only present.

[blueboyno1]

When i went to school during the fifties and sixties there was no sex education

We must be about the same age blueboy as I too went to school during the 50s/60s,leaving in 1963.I went to the Campbeltown Grammar and I can remember having sex education in my final year.If I remember correctly it was just the once,and it was not presented by one of the permanent staff.I definitely recall that it was a woman,and it was boys only present.

I went to Garthamlock secondary just outside glasgow ,left in 1964 at the age of 15 and never once did we get any sex education ,i have studied it in detail since right enough

[£3.73]

Growth promoting chemicals were banned in Europe in 1988 and animals entering the food chain are randomly tested for these chemicals.

Malky

They're also banned at the Olympics & in International sport .... as are other performance enhancing aids ...

... unfortunately, it doesn't seem to deter some people/nations ..... where there's a will there's a way ...

(* note to farming community * I wasn't having a go at farmers guys)

[EMDEE]

When i went to school during the fifties and sixties there was no sex education

We must be about the same age blueboy as I too went to school during the 50s/60s,leaving in 1963.I went to the Campbeltown Grammar and I can remember having sex education in my final year.If I remember correctly it was just the once,and it was not presented by one of the permanent staff.I definitely recall that it was a woman,and it was boys only present.

I was at Campbeltown Grammar School from 1966-1972, and during that time did not have one period (if you pardon the expression) devoted to sex education.

[£3.73]

isn't that what school dances were for ?

[katya]

My own experience of sex education was 'section 6' of general science, then a pro/con debate about abortion in 5th year...and that was it.
I know of people who were sexually active at 12, and know of many pregnancies/abortions which occurred while I was at school (I'm now in my 30's). The only difference I see between then and now is with the std's - I can't recall 1 person I knew knowingly having one - but we live in a small town and a lot of people sleep with the same people as someone else, so it is easy for a virus to spread.
It would be one solution to self-smear, but I can't imagine how that would be possible (practically). As long as women get their regular tests and self-examine, anything untoward should come to light.
K x

[gizmo]

I left the Grammar in 1975. I recall we did a have a bit about chickens and incubators in biology which I think was an attempt to get us thinking, but went straight over my head at the time. We had a couple of periods in the library with a youngish male science teacher who asked us if we wanted a class discussion about any subject and sex education was the subject chosen by one of the girls (I think we all wanted that discussion but she was the only one with guts enough to ask). I have often wondered if that was his idea or if it was the schools but done unofficially. I do remember one of the boys fainted in one of the lessons (ruined his street cred )