Yep my doctor asked me if I wasnted one when I was 18 and on the pill. Apparently the new rule is when you're sexually active, but obvs you know that better than your doctor so you should make the first move. I think if they haven't heard anything by the time you're 25 then they contact you.

xxx

Nah!! dont take the pap smear!! Its well too risky! Ive all ready been warned off my aunty not to have any internal examinations what so ever when pregnant because when she was pregnant she had an internal scan and as soon as she went home she started bleeding which led to a misscarriage. I was worried about this happening to me so discussed things over with my doctor and she told me that there should not be any need for any doctor to be examining me down there. She also told me if the doctors at the hospital want to give me an internal then i should refuse it because there is no need for this to be done in the first place and she doesnt understand why other doctors do that.
Anyway i know i will be refuseing!!.
PINKDIAMOND

My personal response to those talking about the responsibility of getting the paps in order to make sure everything is normal (no STDs or cancer) is that I have regular paps every year. I understand the purpose of checking cells for cancer, but I don't need to be checked for STDs as it's been done ENOUGH already! All I'm personally saying is that if I'm up on my paps then there absolutely no need to have one while pregnant. Plus, I'm not having a vaginal birth anyway. Just wanted to clarify!

In aus, we get pap smears every 2yrs after 18 or when ur sexually active. I'm actually due for one now, but now after reading this I think i might just wait til afterwards to get it done. I'm really worried that i'll have a miscarriage- my mum had 2. And I don't want anything to jeopardise my child.

Wow, thanks for all the responces. I did expect some disagreements however I expected far more of them and the whole of it is all good points for consideration. when I said 'brainwashed 'I was refering to was the attitude that "well if the Dr. says you should do something you should just do it without asking why or seeing if it is done differently somewhere else"; and the truth is, it doesn't seem a lot of people question it they just go with it on the assumption that it is correct. Even if it is correct for the most part I think that it is always good to check out anything (especially during pregnancy) that is irking you till you feel confident. I may chang my mind or wait till 36 weeks when I know that baby could survive if they do screw up or I have a bad reaction. This has been interesting.
-J.

This post just reminded me of my sister who argues with me every time we start talking politics...

I personally think that if the risks outweighed the benefits, doctors would not perform the exam. I've had paps since I was 16, yearly. Never had an abnormal one. Been with my DH for 4 1/2 years, we havent had any other partners, so no risk of STD... But I still get tested every year to be safe. I had a pap at 10 weeks, and it was normal, like usual. Little one was fine, and the pregnancy has progressed normally.

It is very intersting to see how different countries work:

Over here in the UK they do not do smears whilst pregnant unless you had an abnormal smear just before pregnancy. If there was abnornmal cells in this instance you would have a colposcopy, and again at 6 months pregnant to check the changes .

Every one is entitled to their opion and beliefs and at the end of the day the decision is up to the inidividual. x

On a side note:

OP, I don't think anyone here would 'give you crap' for refusing a PAP smear as that is absolutely YOUR decision.
I think it's great that you can discuss whatever you like on this board without people immediately jumping down each others' throats just because they have a different opinion. It's so good that you can just come on here to DISCUSS things, rather than have a huge ranting argument with each other as very often happens on other boards - when people will often 'take sides' and start flaming each other. On those boards, I'm often afraid to post what I think for fear of getting abuse for it. Anyway... I must be feeling a bit emotional and sentimental today, so there you go x

My mom was all freaked out about me getting one. She doesn't understand why they'd be doing one when I'm pregnant. She had 3 of us without ever getting it done during the pregnancy and had no complications. All they're looking for is cervical cancer, or potentially cancerous cells - which are caused by HPV, which can't be treated while you're pregnant anyway... As far as the blood tests are concerned, you don't just get STD's from sex. Shit happens, and that's one test I'm getting done anyway.

I haven't decided about the pap test. My doctor used to be a midwife aswell, and I trust her opinion - but if they can't do anything about it anyway, why not wait until after the birth?? There are so many superfluous tests, I don't really see the point of them all. People have been having babies for centuries without all of this crap. And I mean, really... I would be crushed if I miscarried, but there's no preventing it if it's going to happen. So what are these tests doing for us??

hi,
i live in spain and i got TOLD i had to have a pap smear, i totally refused one because i got told it can cause miscarrige, luckily my gynacologist is a friend of mine and said i didnt really have to have it if i didnt want it. what can they do if there is a problem anyway??? and as im not due for one till next yr i figured , why risk it and im sure a few months wont make a difference to having a smear test, il just have one when baby pops out! xx