vaginapagina | Clitoral/anal stimulation before a pap smear

Clitoral/anal stimulation before a pap smear

I know that you need to refrain from vaginal penetration for a day or two before a pap smear, so that you don't disturb cervical cells. But is clitoral stimulation and anal penetration okay, or is it better to not have too many fluids going on? I refuse to get another smear if this turns up inconclusive results, but I'd like to get off if it's not going to mess with anything.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

okay, I just REALLY hope you don't mean clitoral penetration. Y'know? ;)

Heh. Fixed it.

What?! I had a pap smear at my school's clinic and she never mentioned anything about that. Damn school clinic. What happens when you disturb cervical cells?

Oh, sorry. I read it as after instead of before. Stupid me. It makes sense now, although I still haven't heard that.

When a doctor takes a pap smear, she or he is collecting cells off of the cervix to analyse for cellular abnormalities. Sometimes during vaginal penetration, a person might hit the cervix, rubbing off the cells her or his doctor is attempting to collect.

I never heard that either. Jeez.

I'd never heard it either, before I started reading VP.

You might want to check out this page (http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pap.htm#pap10) from the National Women's Health Information Center. It mentions that introducing some substances into the vagina shortly before a pap smear can interfere with the accuracy of the results. :)

It amazes me how many women don't know about this, and it also makes me wonder WHY. Why are doctors not telling their patients this? It's pretty important, because it's very likely to mess up your pap results, and that means you get all nice and scared because they call and say "Your pap was abnormal" and you get to be all worried and nervous for the next week or two until they schedule you for a new appointment.

And it all could've been avoided if the ladies were warned ahead of time not to have sex for 24-48 hours!

That happened to me once. I was pissed and made the doctor's office not charge for the first appointment.

I don't wonder if that's why some of them don't tell women? If the pap is messed up, then they can freak you out and make you come back for a second one!

/conspiracy!

Awesome! I'm glad you had the balls to call them on it. You rock. :D

(deleted comment)

The National Women's Health Information Center (http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pap.htm#pap10), among other places, recommends not inserting certain substances into the vagina for about 2 days before a pap smear. They may interfere with the accurate results of a pap test. :)

i'm really surprised people haven't heard about this. It's the first thing my doctor's office tells me after i make my appointment, and then they call the day before to remind me again.

That being said, I think clitoral stimulation doesn't mess with anything, and I don't know how anal would either. They just say, "nothing in the vagina for 24 hours before your exam." I know I've masturbated before an exam (with no penetration) and it didn't mess up the results.

you know, I just realized that my doctor has never mentioned it to me either- not even when I make an appointment/come in for my Pap. It's just something that I happened to know independently.

and yeah. I agree that clitoral/anal shouldn't interfere with anything. :)

You should be fine. If you're really unsure, give your doc's office a call to double check.

Well, I definitely think clitoral stimulation would be fine, since it seems like it's unlikely to introduce any new fluids into the vagina or to physically disturb cervical cells.

As for anal penetration, would you be using additional lube? If so, you might want to make extra sure that it doesn't enter the vagina -- but I really think that's a pretty far-fetched scenario anyway. (Just one of those "if lightning strikes the same tree twice where there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound as it's charring" kind of things.)

So yeah, if it were me -- even considering really not wanting to do a second smear -- I'd go for it. ;)

Can't you wait? I mean, seriously.

Hi,

isolationista. I'm writing on behalf of the VP Team to express concern that the attitude and/or wording above do not foster what we consider safe space (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#What_is_.22Safe_Space.22.3F) in this community. Specifically, we are concerned that saying "Can't you wait? I mean, seriously" is dismissive of the OP's concerns. The question is entirely valid, and therefore the OP deserves straightforward answers.

Please consider this a warning as well as a friendly reminder to take this opportunity to review VP's policies. You can find more information on safe space (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#What_is_.22Safe_Space.22.3F) in our FAQ (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ), as linked here:

--What are VP's rules? (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#What_are_the_rules.3F)
--What is "safe space"? (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#What_is_.22Safe_Space.22.3F)
--What do you mean by "empowerment" and why is it important in VP? (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=VaginaPagina_FAQ#What_do_you_mean_by_.22empowerment.22_and_why_is_it_important_in_VP.3F)

You are more than welcome to make a post over in

contact_vp or to contact us via email (http://www.vaginapagina.com/contact.php) If you'd like to talk more about this matter or clarify any points; we only ask that you refrain from commenting further here out of respect for the OP. For that reason, replies to this thread will be frozen.

Thanks,
Tori
For the VP Team (http://www.vaginapagina.com/contact.php)

contact_vp

I'm boggled by the amount of folks who have to go in and get a pap and want to have sex right beforehand. Is it really so hard to wait? lol It's just 1-2 days, tops.

I'd also like to note here that in my case at least, when I know I'm due for a pap in a few days, sex is usually about the farthest thing from my mind.

I mean, the sex will be there after the exam. I had an abnormal pap once years and years ago, and looking back, it was because I'd had sex the day before, and it skewed my results. When they called me and said my pap was abnormal, that was one of the scariest days of my life. I was thinking "Oh god, I've got cancer!" or something. You know, worst case scenario type thinking.

It's not something I'd want anyone to go through though, that's for sure.

However, you aren't actually having sex; I'm sure the clitoral stimulation would be fine, but I'd avoid anal, because lube and various fluids could dribble into the vagina and potentially skew your results; and you don't wanna go through that if you can avoid it. At best, you'd have to get a second pap, and let's face it, most of us don't exactly like going in to get that done.

For me, it's not that 1-2 days is a huge deal, but when I'm horny and have the opportunity to have sex, I don't want to turn it down if I don't have to! I think it's nice to know what I can and cannot do, so that maybe I can at least do something fun should the desire and opportunity arise, even if penetration is off limits.

I know the feeling, but I also know if I have an internal exam due, sex is just a no-no. If I'm reaaaaaaaaaaally hellbent on sex, I usually just use a toy (clitoral stimulation only) and my partner gets oral/handjobs. But otherwise, nothing goes near the netherland!

I mean, I'd rather turn down sex than have to go back and get a second exam. D:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Clitoral/anal stimulation before a pap smear

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(frozen comment) Maintainer Note -- Safe Space Warning

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