Last week I received a letter from NHS Lothian reminding me to book my first-ever smear test after I turned 25 in December. As I approached 25 I knew this was coming but it didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking.
A smear test is a routine cervical screening that checks the health of your cervix. All women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 should be invited by letter and during the screening appointment, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix.
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Booking for the test is vital and I was able to get an appointment within days of phoning up. It may be an uncomfortable experience but it could save your life and for ten minutes of discomfort it's not a lot to ask.
The sample is checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells of your cervix. These are called "high risk" types of HPV.
If these types of HPV are found, the sample is then checked for any changes in the cells of your cervix. These can then be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.
If you are only 25 years old it is likely you have never had an examination similar to a smear test before and that alone can be quite daunting.
There is plenty of information you can read online before you go but nothing can fully prepare you to have a nurse looking into one of the most private parts of your body.
I headed round for my appointment at the nurses' office on Friday afternoon, when I entered the room the friendly nurse that I have seen many times before sat me down and slowly explained the procedure, why it is so important and what exactly they are looking for.
Before I went the main fears that circled my mind were what if I have cervical cancer, it's a scary thought especially when you are just 25 years old - cancer is not something I have really worried about before.
The important thing about a smear test is - it is not a test for cancer, it's a test to help prevent cancer and one of the best ways women can protect themselves against cervical cancer.
Just before the test, the nurse asked me if I had any questions and then got me to undress from the waist down behind a curtain before sitting on a bed with a sheet covering me.
She then used something called a speculum which is a smooth, tube-shaped tool and inserts it into your vagina to use a little brush to take some cells to test. Because there was a sheet covering me I couldn't see the test going on which made it less awkward.
It feels cold when it first goes in and a little strange having a stranger looking inside of you. But truthfully nurses are heroes who are well-trained and deal with these things on a daily basis. My lovely nurse put me at ease immediately and was fantastic throughout.
The whole thing lasted less than five minutes and although being a little bit uncomfortable at the start the procedure didn't hurt at all.
It was over before I knew it and I got dressed before sitting down again to hear about how to receive the results. These can take up to eight weeks to come back which is a bit daunting when you are worrying about what the outcome could be.
But, I was assured that it is very routine and even if abnormal cells are found this is quite normal and just something to keep an eye on. The whole point of the test is to catch cancer before it even has a chance to develop so keeping up to date with your smear tests could be life-saving.
Jade Goody hit the news in 2008 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which she tragically died from at the age of just 27 years old.
I would have only been eight years old but I remember seeing the story in my mum's glossy gossip magazines and seeing it on the news. I didn't fully understand but my mum explained to me what happened and when I was older I read more and the story stuck with me.
Her story is unique not only because of how rare it is for women of her age to die of the disease but also because of the symptoms she suffered.
She was just 15 and not even sexually active when she first contracted the deadly human papillomavirus (HPV) and abnormal cells were found during a smear test.
These were treated on a number of occasions. Three times she had rogue cells removed, but when a letter asked her to return for a fourth time, she ignored it through fear.
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Without being tested the virus can sit dormant for years without any symptoms, smear tests can pick up these abnormal cells so doctors can do something before it turns into something much more serious.
Following her death, the number of women attending cervical screenings, otherwise known as smear tests, rose by half a million. This was dubbed “the Jade Goody effect”.
Since reading her story I always knew I would go when it came to my time. Her legacy has lived on with the number of women having smear tests increasing by 12 per cent following her death.
Despite a bit of worrying in advance, I am very pleased I was able to get tested and I would urge all women to make an appointment when the time comes.
You can find out more about cervical screenings through the NHS here.
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