Skip to main content

#SmearForSmear

Do not be a fanny and get screened.

Just before I moved to a new house a couple of months ago, I received a letter prompting me to book my cervical screening ‘smear’, test. It was filed away quite quickly and forgotten about. In the back of my head it was almost like an automatic action, but it wasn’t until this week which is cervical cancer prevention week I realised the dangers of this action.

My newsfeed this week is filling with those raising awareness of cervical cancer and taking part in Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust #SmearForSmear campaign.

Simple post a pic of you with a ‘smear’ and encourage others to go and have their screening. The trust surveyed 2017 women and found that 35% women have put of having their smear due to embarrassment, 26% have found it hard to make the appointment and 35% would not take the time of work.

35% of 2017 women not being checked for a cancel that is responsible for around 850 women’s deaths a year because of embarrassment.

We live in a society where we view anything to do with the vagina, yes, I said VAGINA is met with a prudish eye roll and a quick change of subject. Mention these two words to anyone and I can guarantee you will be greeted with a screwed up disgusted face; PERIOD BLOOD. It is only this year Bodyform changed the famous blue liquid to actual represent blood in their adverts for sanitary towels. However, this is a natural occurrence that happens to billions of women for many years of their lives, always has, always will so why the stigma?

In one of the wealthiest countries we face a crisis that has barely been spoken about but is in every classroom, period poverty. Again, much of it stemming from the stigma of embarrassment.
Maybe, after two kids (one cut and one 3a tear resulting in surgery) I am no longer embarrassed about my downstairs. I also say why the bloody hell should we be? Once you’ve seen one you’ve pretty much seen them all. Whoever is doing your smear probably even has one and yours is like the millionth one of the day she has seen. I have now made my appointment and there was no shame from my side or embarrassment making it. I doubt I will have even remembered to shave and likely have one or more kids in tow with me on the day too.


Because, that is why I am having my screening, why Elijah is part of my photo. Because it is easier not to go, to have to find childcare to book time of work, or begrudge having to go through the ritual of getting undressed and wondering WHERE THE HELL DO YOU PUT YOUR KNICKERS? But this saves lives. It means I will be doing the right thing for my boys, and also, I wrote this post to encourage others to book their smear, to take part in this amazing campaign which is raising awareness and saving lives.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dear Elijah, on your fourth heart day

Elijah the heart hero never letting anything stop him. Today  is your 4th heart day. It's 4 years since we took you down to Great Ormond Street for open heart surgery. It seems to have crept up on us again. Another whole year has passed but it hasn't changed how I feel about that day. Some have said that oh, by now surely you should have gotten over it after all it's been 4 years. The answer is I don't think I ever will. I have been thinking a lot about that day, where I signed the consent forms for them to take you and operate on you. To either save or take your life. That day was the worst of my life, the unknown certainty of whether you would come back up again. I held you as they put you to sleep. They gave me your dummy as they took you from me and laid you on the operating table as if you weighed nothing. I couldn't even kiss you goodbye in case it was the last time. That's why I won't ever get over it and those who have been in the

The time Fajita night resulted in having a baby in a bath.

The newest Cockerill Do you all remember my ever so optimistic natural birth plan? You can read it here. However, spoiler alert, it didn’t happen. What did happen was something no one was expecting. Wednesday the 5 th July… a mundane sort of day spent cleaning the house and doing the weekly shop. With Greg going back to work the next day I was determined to make sure everything was ready for when this baby arrived! I was three days off my due date and still hadn’t had one single sign this baby was imminently coming. I had been receiving messages from quite a few people asking if baby was here yet. I was getting fed up as everything I had tried to induce labour failed miserably and every morning for the last two weeks I woke up disappointed I wasn’t in labour! I gave up, walking didn’t help, pineapple made me sick and I was beginning to tire of the raspberry leaf tea. This baby was staying put. In the evening I put Elijah bed, and we began to settle down for the eveni

The one with Elijah's heart surgery.

We were back. April 22-28 2015, a year ago this weekend. In just two short weeks since we last went down to London. We had to go down the day before and check in and have another blood test. As all of the forms had been signed last time, we were out again within an hour or so. Back to the same family accommodation, in a different room and with a lot less luggage. Something felt different this time, although I didn't want to believe it was going ahead in the event it was cancelled again, deep down I knew it would be. The morning of the surgery I knew how I would feel as we had been through this all before. I didn't want to go out for a meal so we ate in the hotel room watching ch5 rubbish after Elijah went down in the travel cot. Its odd that through the whole pre admission, cancelled op and the actual operation I can remember what shit we watched on TV and what we ate for tea that night. One of those weird things that just sticks in your head. Sort of like when you rememb