16 tips to make your smear test more comfortable

Feeling nervous, worried or anxious about your smear test? These 16 tips can help make your next cervical screening more comfortable.

If it’s your first smear

If you’re worried or anxious

If you feel embarrassed

If you find it uncomfortable or painful - or have done in the past

Find out if you can be seen at a specialist clinic 

Conquer your fear of the cervical smear



Read on for 16 practical tips, including some from the cervical cancer charity [Jo’s Trust](https://www.jostrust.org.uk/), to make sure your smear test appointment is nothing to fear.

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*DISCLAIMER: The content of this video is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and is for informational purpose only. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this video.*

__Find useful information on other areas of vaginal health with our [complete Guide](/guides/vaginal-health).__

## If it’s your first smear

- __talk to someone who has been there and done it__ – friends and family can tell you what a smear test is like and reassure you that it’s a quick and relatively painless procedure
- __plan ahead__ – if you’re anxious about the appointment, ring the surgery and talk to a nurse about what will happen and/or book a longer appointment so you won’t be rushed and there will be time for you to ask questions 


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## If you’re worried or anxious

- __book the first appointment of the day__ – this might stop you stressing about it all day beforehand
- __take someone in with you__ – if you need moral support, take someone you trust and who can calm you down, along with you. They can hold your hand and distract you and give you reassurance. You can also ask the surgery/clinic to provide a chaperone if you don’t have anyone you could ask to come with you. Their role would be more that of an independent adviser though rather than calming you down
- __play some music__ – if you’ve got a favourite piece of music that helps you chill and relax, you could ask if it’s okay if you play it via your phone (but not with your earphones in or you won’t hear the instructions), while you have your smear


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## If you feel embarrassed

- __ask for a doctor or nurse of a particular sex__ – you may prefer a female doctor or nurse to do your smear test - so make that request in advance. Equally, if you have a male doctor you see regularly that you know and trust, you may  feel more comfortable about them doing it instead, (if they have the specialist training)
- __wear a dress or a skirt__ – somehow it’s not quite so daunting if you don’t have to remove clothing (apart from your pants), so a dress or a skirt may be a better choice to wear on the day as you can just lift it up. Don’t forget your nurse will also give you a blanket or some tissue to cover up whilst you’re waiting

![Woman wearing a skirt](//images.ctfassets.net/iqo3fk8od6t9/1csk5O9p8JUn0DhhZX6OR1/cd7a344bf55a1b7d7a88ab468de7a536/iStock-1031864088__1_.jpg)


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## If you find it uncomfortable or painful - or have done in the past

- __ask for a countdown__ – sometimes it helps to know exactly what's coming next and how long it's going to last for – so ask your nurse or doctor to give you a running commentary 
- __find out if you can have a smaller speculum__ – if the speculum your nurse or doctor inserts feels uncomfortable, you can ask them to try to use a smaller one
- __take a painkiller beforehand__ – if you’ve found a smear painful in the past, take a painkiller such as paracetamol before you go in for your smear test
- __try some deep breathing exercises__ – deep breathing exercises will help you combat anxiety. Deep breathing can help you - and your vaginal walls - to relax, particularly if you practice them before and during your smear test. This can help reduce feelings of discomfort
- __lie on your left side__ – if it’s uncomfortable for you to lie flat on your back, ask if you can try a different position such as on your left side with your knees bent
- __ask for vaginal oestrogen if you're post menopausal__ – post menopausal women have vaginal walls that are less stretchy, which can make smear tests more uncomfortable, so ask your doctor (or sometimes your nurse) to prescribe you vaginal oestrogen to make it feel smoother

![Woman with glass of water and a painkiller](//images.ctfassets.net/iqo3fk8od6t9/5FmeQJc9jxAKGVfT5m2k6r/78fd3662cb8774dae41e5ce2f8305828/iStock-940926438__1_.jpg)


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## Find out if you can be seen at a specialist clinic 

If you have special reasons for being anxious about a smear - you can be seen at a specialist clinic. These include:

- [My Body Back](https://mybodybackproject.com/) has specialist clinics in London and Glasgow for victims of sexual violence
- if you have [vaginismus](https://www.livehealthily.com/womens-sexual-problems/vaginismus), a medical condition that causes the muscles around the vagina to tighten up when you or someone else puts something in it, specialist support for managing the symptoms is available 
- clinics for transgender men and non binary people with cervixs are also available.  Find out more from the NHS [here](https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/sexual-health/should-trans-men-have-cervical-screening-tests/) or contact [Dean St](https://www.dean.st/)


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References

Jo Waters

Dr Adiele Hoffman

Dr Ann Nainan

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