Having a pap after having my daughter, saved my life.
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You sound like you don’t understand the purpose of a Pap smear. If that doctor hurts you during the Pap smear doctor shop and find a more gentle doctor. I personally hate female doctors and I only like male doctors for Pap smears.
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Not invasion of privacy it’s called being safe and it’s not that bad it’s less painful then giving birth just saying it takes less then 5 min to take a swab of your cervix with a q tip
So, checking to see if you might have cervical cancer isn’t important? If you have children then how is a pap smear invading your privacy and getting checked while pregnant and having your baby wasn’t? 
Seriously 
it can literally save your life I will never ever miss mine. The more the better since if caught early it’s highly treatable
Nah it’s important. I know enough people who thought they were fine and then had irregular pap smears that turned out to be something that needs to be addressed. There’s a reason it’s recommended. And I don’t buy everything drs say btw.
So few people? 
More than half of us have to deal with abnormal paps and cancer scares all the time
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Dont be crying when you find out you have cancer and its too late. 10 minutes could save your life
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I hadn’t had a pap smear anytime between my second and 3rd son. When I got pregnant with my 3rd son I found out I had cancer cells growing on my cervix. I got lucky that after I had my son the pregnancy actually made the cells disappear however they came back before I got pregnant with my 4th son, again the pregnancy handled it. I can’t keep having kids to make sure I don’t have to deal with the cancer cells. You should definitely get a pap done for your safety bc if I hadn’t had anymore kids after my second the cancer cells could have been so much worse and who knows I may have lost my reproduction system.
Get it done. You don’t want to leave your babies motherless
“invasive”?
The Pap Smear is a picnic compared to what you endure should you have an undiagnosed malignancy growing unchecked.
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Um… what??? Pap smears show std’s, and cervical cancers, and so many things that could save your life. She said it was quick and painless and that’s… Wrong to you? What??? Like, what??? You gave birth and you’re telling me it’s invasive?
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If you don’t want it then don’t do it. But the doc is right. They suck but it could save your life. And especially after having a baby to make sure everything looks good. But you do you. If you don’t want to then don’t. No one can force you. It’s your body
First and foremost, don’t use a doctor that would shame you. Your body , your choice, a doctor is a paid employee not a God.
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Of course you can do what you want. But maybe on her end she’s seen what having cancer can do. I get it done bc it killed my grandma, watching her die slowly and painfully was terrible, and she did get tests, they didn’t know it spread before removing the ovaries.
It’s painful for me also, but talking to your doc can help, mine gave me something for the pain.
I feel like having the tests are a good idea.
Get one it’s so important for your health. Better to be safe believe me you have littles you need to be healthy for.
I mean…pap smears are medically necessary…I’d want to know if I had cervical cancer or ovarian cancer early enough that there’s chance of treatment, and to me that benefit outweighs the risk of a bit of discomfort, or progressing cancer . To each their own though, I guess.
It’s ur body. She’s not gonna come and tell ur mom:weary:. I mean lots of us are shaking our heads at the nonsensical audacity but who cares about that?
My aunt discovered cervical cancer at her 6 month checkup after her last child. Pap smears are important. Cervical cancer doesn’t have a lot of symptoms early on, and it is treatable.
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You need to get it done
Yeah. If my grandmother Lucy would have had her paps done maybe she wouldn’t of died from cancer?
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I refused mine after my baby was born because I wasn’t healed all the way yet at the 6 week pp check up.
Your GYN telling you that you need a pap is NOT a violation of privacy. You get a pap after a baby to ensure that you’re healing properly and there are no complications or infections, which are more common than you may think after pushing a tiny human from your body. As for so few people finding anything wrong when getting a pap, I’m one of those few people who didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t see my GYN for years… only to have an abnormal pap and be diagnosed with several female issues in addition to cervical cancer. Believe me, going for a routine pap would have been less painful that everything I had to deal with for cancer treatments. So go ahead and skip those paps…
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Pap smears help save lives by catching abnormal cells in the cervix before they turn into full blown cancer. It’s an important screening tool.
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They ARE medically necessary. WTH? I swear these questions have to be fake sometimes. 
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I agree it should be done. It does feel like a violation. Though for some women like myself they are not painless. But your doctor or anyone shouldn’t make you feel ashamed for not getting one…and me personally if my doctor made me feel that way for my choice over anything regarding my choice for my own health…I’d find a new doctor
What? Lol many women catch cancer and stds just from pap smears alone what kinda of statment is that “esp when so few ppl find anything from getting pap smears” girl what …where are you getting your info its a literal cancer and disease screening and is medically necessary just like a prostate exam for men are and breast exams for women you should not be reproducing with that little education
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As embarrassing as it it is, it’s VERY important to get it done. You never know what’s lingering in your own body. Pre cancerous cells and cancer can creep up on you and it may be progressed to upper stages before you ever find out or start having symptoms. This is a very dangerous game you’re playing. Please get it done! It could save your life
Lost my sister in law to cervical cancer which she got after skipping 2 annual pap smears. So important to get a pap smear yearly.
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Pap smears are very important! I would still have a cancerous cervix if I didn’t get my Pap smears, regularly. Luckily, it was caught in time & they were able to remove the high grade pre cancer cells BEFORE it turned into cancer. Pap smears don’t hurt, dying from cervical cancer would hurt.
Everything about this post is CRINGE.
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I’m 74 and have had decades of preventive medical tests. I have had a hysterectomy, so pap not necessary now, but I still get mammogram yearly and that dreaded colonoscopy. I want to live to make 100 and being proactive in medical decisions is important to making it there!
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You had a baby🥴. Lord have mercy. I don’t even know where to go with this
Would you rather have cervical cancer that has progressed too far to treat because it wasn’t caught sooner…??
I had a pap a few weeks ago and got a call saying it came back abnormal and now I have to have a biopsy on my cervix… I’ve never had a pap come back abnormal and I’m scared about it… sooo Definitely get it done!!
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Makes me wonder 
here you all are telling this woman what she can do with her body… shaming her calling her names and literally doing exactly what she said the doctor did. I don’t agree with her but I’m not going to bash her or shame her. So many of you say it’s her body it’s her choice weird how when it’s something like this everyone blows up… Less than 6 minutes and there’s already like 90 comments All saying the same thing… what if this was a younger girl pre-20s didn’t have a mother growing up… no one thinks outside the box… instead of calling someone uneducated and belittling them how about you educate them. Just put your two cents in… she’s asking for advice how about you guys give some and not insults… ffs
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My insurance has told me every month for 12 years that I need one done. But have gotten it. But with me turning 40 this year I had the mammogram done and came back clear. Next is the pap. You can shop around there are benefits to going. They can catch cancer and other things going on. That we can’t see
Btw, it doesn’t hurt! If you have a baby then you were checked during pregnancy to see if you were dilated. It isn’t much different then that. I don’t understand how this is even a question.
Pre cancerous cells were found in my preventative pap. It is important just like checking your breasts for lumps. We cant see in there to know if something is wrong. You do you though.
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You’ll feel different when you get cancer.
I’m sorry but unless you’ve done the years of training to understand what the smears actually mean, and you’ve been on the receiving end of negative news, you can not get upset over her asking!! They don’t ask for the fin if it and it’s nothing to do with privacy!! That all goes out of the window when you’ve consultants and surgeons poking about to get you fixed if you’re one of the unlucky ones. Yes it may not happen to everyone but it does happen to millions and gif forbid you’re one of them!!
Also add I spent years dealing with so many issues and had to go have cells tested. Which were messed up and had to have a biopsy. You never know and I hate going to the doctors but my kids need me here and that means checking to make sure I’m healthy. We can’t control cells
If you had the training to know why its important you wouldnt question it
ignorance like this is shameful
Having a google search engine does not make you a doctor or anything remotely close
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Surely this isn’t a real post
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A simple procedure that can catch devastating diseases. It’s relatively low risk.
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Not sure you understand what an “invasion of privacy” or even a pap smear are
Were all the tests and exams prior to this an “invasion” as well?
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Girl, get your pap done wtf
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You need to use the internet to read up on Pap smears instead of posting this!
Need to be checked every 2 years for pap. You bet I will go when needed, preventative anything is good.
I hate Pap smear too and they make me feel gross BUT if I hadn’t of done them yearly I would be dead and my kids would be without a mother. I had cervical cancer and didn’t know it! The Pap smear caught it. Now my kids still have a mother!
Your body, your rights but at least listen to a well educated person about what’s healthy for you. Especially after having a baby. If not for your sake, for your childrens!! Good luck!
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I’m sorry but what?Doctors shouldn’t speak like…. What exactly should they say? Or you’re trying to say that they shouldn’t attempt to educate their patients on necessary preventative healthcare?
“So few people” I’m glad your circle of friends and family has been untouched by cervical cancer and HPV but mine has not. Multiple friends under 30 have had abnormal PAP results and one had her results come back as stage 1 cancer.
It is medically necessary if you are over 21 or sexually active. Given that you have a child, I would assume you’re sexually active. There are lots of things that feel like a violation of privacy but it doesn’t mean they aren’t necessary. Do you avoid getting tested for STDs too since that’s a similar breech of privacy?
It’s not comfortable or painless for everyone, but it is over quickly and only needed every 3 years if your results are normal.
If you go to the doctor for something medically necessary, they’re going to also want you to get preventative care while you’re there. Doctors aren’t just there for emergencies or “medically necessary” things. I really think you should change medically necessary to say “things I want to do” and just leave it at that. I’m assuming you also don’t see the dentist either since you don’t believe in preventative care. Annual physical? Nah. Breast exam? Hard pass.
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This is so sad to see a woman not take the proper measures to ensure there’s nothing wrong, its a swab… like why fight it
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For years my smears came back normal till last year, and now I have to go get a 2nd Colposcopy, so just cos you rarely find anything, doesnt mean you won’t. Get the damn test. Cancer doesn’t care.
Not me reading this while sitting in my OB office waiting to discuss surgery and options because my pap came back severely abnormal with cancer cells.
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If you feel that dr had poor bedside manner, get another but i will say its important to do annual tests as early detection is key to successful treatment of any condition! A pap is literally a 2 second swab
Definitely not painless
Many womens lives are saved by pap smears.
I get one every other year bc my Dr said many issue is really low for me. I never had an abnormal one and cancer, medical issues aren’t in my family. I hate them but I get it anyway.
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As a woman that was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 29 by getting a routine pap… I think you sound incredibly ignorant.
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All these tests are important. As a bc survivor, the mammogram is just as important as the smear so if your eligible or invited to get it, DO IT!!!
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My aunt died of cervical cancer. Young. Just get the damn swab. If it’s good you’re good for several years.
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Are you medically trained? If not how can you say if its medically necessary or not?
Think the OP is confusing a pregnancy cervical check with a routine pap? At least I’d hope so🥴
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It’s more or less to make sure you don’t have cancer but I also refused my last one because I didn’t want to have it done. You have rights, we all do.
Rosemary Flansaas it’s scary to think this person has a baby
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it can save your life like mammogams but your choice careful if you screw up and get stage 3 cancer
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This is the most ridiculous question ever! Just assume your doctor is overstepping until you need a hysterectomy then you’ll want to sue because there wasn’t early detection
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Will be a much bigger violation of privacy if u get cancer down there…your choice but your dr is right
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Pap is how they found out that I have cervical cancer and I go every year and check it
Pap smears are part of your preventive medicine. It’s just as—if not MORE—important than sick visits, as this allows your providers to catch any issues before they become critical. The Pap smear looks for any signs of cervical abnormalities—including but not limited to cancer. A lot of conditions do NOT show symptoms until they’re SERIOUS, so it’s highly important to keep up with your preventative visits/procedures.
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You have got to be kidding… Thats a extremely stupid stance to take on a preventative measure…
Preventative exams are necessary… You should definitely get it done yearly
Having a baby kaboshes all feelings of privacy. I don’t even care. Pap the shit outta me I don’t want cancer
Sadly you should have gotten it but your doctor should not have guilt tripped you in any way
They are very important and they have to press for you to get that done as it is a routine thing.
You can refuse that, but they have to ask and document the refusal to cover their end.
Self care is extremely important now. You have. Child who depends on you.
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A lot of offices insist you do it yearly but it really only needs to be done every three years. If you’ve had an abnormal one you should follow up more frequently and with the appropriate tests but if your baby is less than 3 years old, I can see why you’d want to wait, as it’s not currently needed.
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Nobody enjoys pap smears but they ARE extremely important to all women to get them done and for all of the reasons these ladies have stated! Time to be a big girl!
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Is this a joke? No, not painless. But unnecessary? Ummm. Do you know why you get a papsmear? What it screens for? Why you need one yearly? You not gonna get a mammogram either when it’s time? Ffs. She wasn’t shaming you, she was doing her job as a healthcare provider educating you on the importance due to your refusal to make sure you understood what you were refusing. 
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Mam Paps are medically necessary. Now if you have 3 good ones in a row I believe you get to wait so long for your next one. Your doctor isn’t shaming you they are being a good doctor by informing you that it needs to be completed
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Yeah you should definitely get one. You already had a baby so you know what that’s like. Just get one and be done with it.
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I hate pap smears with a passion…they hurt like h*ll and I always get cramps afterwards for at least 2 days.
However, you should get one for your safety and the best interest of your kids
It’s preventative health. Would you rather something be there and you catch it soon or wait until it’s “medically necessary” to go and it’s too late? What she said is true. I’d understand not getting one due to any trauma that needs to be worked through first but not getting one just because you feel it’s a violation of privacy (even though you’ve had a child), and you don’t see it as medically necessary is silly.
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I have not ever been super regular with routine checks like that I do them occasionally I try to listen to my body to feel if things are off. I think that it’s a good idea to get checked up here and there but not necessarily as often as Drs push for it. But it is up to you and what you feel. 
Okay is this a joke ? Or very uneducated person and they just had a baby.
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It’s their job to encourage you to take care of your health. That’s why they’re doctors. Would you rather they say nothing and let you go years without one and then something pops up. I bet the first thing you’d say is “well my Dr didn’t tell me I needed to do an exam!” Get the paps done. It’s for your own good.
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Until they find abnormal cells that could lead to cancer if they don’t have them removed…(a family member of mine)
Nobody likes paps but if it can prevent serious illnesses give me one any time idgaf.
You shouldn’t just go to the dr when u have something wrong. Pap smears and check ups are to make sure you are fine and if there is something wrong they can catch it before it gets to bad. You just had a baby don’t you want to make sure your healing properly. Sh** I avoided the drs for awhile due to no coverage and now I have seizures every time I have a period I think back what if I did go to the drs before it started maybe they would of found something
A Pap smear makes you “uncomfortable” but delivering a baby (by most likely that same doctor) is fine?
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Knowing someone that found out they had cervical cancer from a Pap smear I’d say get it done regularly. But your doctor shouldn’t shame you I do feel like she was trying to look out for you though.
If I had skipped out on my PAP five years ago, I’d likely be dead of cervical cancer now. Luckily, I didn’t.
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A pap IS medically necessary! Like wtf!?! Do you have ANY idea how important those are and how many women have died from not getting them regularly!? They are VERY VERY important. Ive denied a internal ultrasound but never a Papsmear (although i hate them) The usually dont hurt either and if they do, theres something abnormal going on there. They can be uncomfortable yes. And idk what your last scentence implied when you said they are not Necessary… Like do you think your doctor WANTS to look up your vagina? I mean im told they dont mind it but i highly doubt they enjoy it.
That is your choice. My doctor told me I only need to get them every 4 years. I told her my insurance pays for me to have them every year and I could be dead in 4 years if something were to go wrong. I know better. My mom was sick when I was 4 and they told her it was all in her head but she kept going to different doctors and she finally found one that wasn’t afraid to run tests they found out she was setting up cervical cancer. So I will get my Pap smear annually even if I have to pay out of pocket. There are women who have gone from fine to stage 4 in 8 months.
Why are all you woman being dicks. There are tons of people who don’t do routine checks or testing stop shaming her she asked a question either give an answer or keep scrolling.
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Let me tell you about my sweet Momma who was always on my ass to get my mammogram and my pap tests. At 65 years of age, she had a double mastectomy. Never had a mammogram. This was in April of 1994. In July, she started bleeding. She had cancer of the cervix. She passed on December 18, 1994. She didn’t get to meet my granddaughters, see my grandsons get married or meet my three greatgrandkids. I am not telling you this for attention. I want you to realize how important these tests are. Do it for yourself, your child, your loved ones and your Mom.
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So u just had a baby where everybody was in ur business…don’t be shy now. Paps are to help discover things u cant feel on ur own. I mean u don’t just wake up and say I’m feeling a little cervical cancery today. Get the pap. It doesnt hurt at all. Yet u can save ur own life, especially if u want to be around that baby u just had. U won’t listen to ur trained doctor but r seeking advice from fb strangers? Get outta here. Educate urself
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They are important. Yes you feel awkward but it’s very important
Numbering to keep thoughts in order not to be hateful:
- I’m not sure why you feel like “doctors shouldn’t talk like that” but the truth is that pap smears in fact are a preventative procedure.
Even if you are and have been clean of STIs your entire life, that doesn’t mean that you have zero risk of cervical cancer.
Your doctor isn’t violating your privacy by telling you these things. They’re being honest. - I understand that the procedure definitely feels invasive and I totally get that the procedure itself feels like it’s an invasion of privacy…but this is one of those situations where you need to keep your emotions in check and use logic. It’s not a violation of your privacy. It’s a preventative medical procedure.
- I know that we as a society are often bombarded by blogs which are opinions mascarading as informative articles telling us that a lot medical things are necessary or even relevant just docs trying to make a buck or docs being lazy or whatever…and while sometimes there is some truth to that most of the time it’s crap.
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They are extremely important! What the fuck do you mean “so few people find anything wrong from Pap smears” it’s a fucking CANCER screening if nothing else. You’re an absolute 
i d i o t and your doctor was right to shame you. You have a fucking child to live for now. It’s not all about you.
A Pap smear saved my sister’s life. She had pre cancerous cells that was found during a pap and luckily they got them all out! So I def see why a Pap smear would be a good idea
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Pap smears are necessary they catch cervical cancer at even early stages. Sure you may have a dozen clear paps but how about 1 pap they find cancer cells and are able to take care of it before it progresses. Isn’t that worth the trouble of have the dozen clear paps? It’s a matter of taking care of yourself a d your health and the procedure is put into place as a routine check for a reason. It’s your choice but I don’t understand the aversion to it.
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