vaginapagina | first pap smear (Reply)

i had my first pap smear today. just thought i should post and say that it was totally easy and cool and untraumatic.

in case anyone is interested, here is the process. the doctor pulled a sheet in front of her examining table and told me to get undressed from the waist down and lie on the table over the little paper sheet she put there, and cover myself with the green fabric sheet she gave me. i did that, and then she came behind when i was finished. she asked me to put up my legs, and told me what she was doing as she did it. she put the plastic separator thingie in, and that was a little uncomfortable but not at all painful, and then did two swipes. she told me to let my legs go to each side, and that the more they relaxed the less uncomfortable it would be for me. so i did, and she was right. she said she could see my cervix and it looked fine, and i hardly felt the two swipes at all. then she did an exam where basically she put her fingers inside my vagina and up towards my cervix, and then pushed down on my stomach above where her fingers where, i think. that hurt a tiny bit, but just the kind of pain like when u do your jeans up too tight and then you lean forward and they squeeze your tummy.

she said that she'd put me on the list to have another in two years if everything came back normal, and if the results weren't normal then we'd discuss that. i had two swipes because i also had a test for chlamydia. my doctor suggested it, she said that i can get it done at the same time so i said i may as well, i haven't had one before. for some reason that wasn't covered by medicare tho? odd.

hope that was useful for anyone who might be going for one soon. totally not scary!