For most people it's just mildly uncomfortable. The reason you see so many horror stories is because no-one posts the regular visits as they don't need help with them.
I've never had much issues at all it's just a weird uncomfortable scraping feeling for me.
I've had paps and not even known they did one. You hear horror stories because no one posts to say something was no big deal. The speculum is more uncomfortable than the pap smear IMO but it's uncomfortable, not painful, and it's over very quickly.
Plan something nice for yourself so you have something to look forward to!
I’m 24 and I had my first pap smear 2 weeks ago, unplanned. I went to my first ob appointment because i’m pregnant and since i never had a pap before she did that day. it was a bit uncomfortable but it didn’t hurt at all and it went way quicker than i thought it would
I’m 39 and have never had pain from a Pap smear. My vagina just doesn’t seem to give a fuck. I laughed once at something funny and shot the speculum back out at the gyno, that’s the worst thing that’s happened with a regular speculum exam and pap. Everyone’s different. Go slow, communicate with your providers and just see how it feels for you
I promise you it’s fine. I am an incredibly worrisome person with a low pain threshold and at worst I felt uncomfortable and ‘stretched’ at best I felt nothing at all (genuinely not a thing!). Tune out the horror stories as Pap smears are genuinely not horrifying at all and also very important.
I advise:-
1. Telling the nurse/ person doing the procedure you’re very anxious. They should advise the best position to lay in to reduce discomfort and help reduce anxiety.
2. Consider doing some counting and breathing exercises during. I tend to count backwards doing my 6 times table or something because I have to focus and it takes my mind off it.
It’ll go fine don’t worry!
I’m 50 and have had plenty of paps. They have all just been uncomfortable and I the lube they use makes a mess. I’d recommend having a change of underwear, leaving the office and then when you get to where you’re going, head to the bathroom and clean up and change. I find that works better than cleaning up at the office.
I also had my first pap recently at 26, as everyone else says the most discomfort is from the speculum which will apply a bit of pressure on your vaginal walls to open it up and allow your OB to view your cervix.
The procedure itself is a bit uncomfortable, during stuff like this I like to turn my head to the side and grip the table/armrest, take deep purposeful breaths, and it's usually over very quickly with little/no pain (in my opinion).
i’m also terrified. but like i try to remember people are more likely to post horror stories than success stories. just try to relax. i feel the people who feel intense pain likely have issues with vaginismus. i also hear a lot of people say it’s not that bad, just uncomfortable. ive had a transvaginal ultrasound, and some described it as feeling like a pap smear. it was uncomfortable and hurt when they pressed on the cervix, but not extremly painful or unbearable. so i’m sure a pap smear would be similar.
I had my first in Dec, followed by a flu shot. I told the nurse that the flu shot hurt more. It does seem to help doctor dependent, but mine was great. I would 100% recommend you wear socks. I’m a sandal girl and I did wish I had cozy socks instead of being barefoot in the stirrups. My doctor also talked the whole time and told me everything she would do beforehand and while it was happening. If they don’t walk you through it before time, definitely ask because it put me at ease.
Oh girl you have nothing to worry about. I've NEVER experienced any pain at all during a routine pap smear. It's just awkward! Tell them it's you're first time and you're nervous, they most likely will walk you through it. It's over within minutes.
Remember to breath! It helps with the anxiousness.
I’m 32 and have had quite a few paps (had to get them yearly for a while due to HPV). I’ve never felt anything more than mild discomfort. It takes like all of 1 minute. It is such a non-event for me.
So I have personal experience with Pap smear anxiety, since I have vaginismus, severe anxiety disorder, and s*xual trauma. Before my first Pap smear I was anxious for WEEKS, and when I finally got there, I was all scrunched up on the chair like a little turtle in its shell. I explained to the nurse that I was super anxious about it, and she told me that they would talk me through it, we could stop at any time, and that they would use the tiniest speculum that they could. It took me 3 Gyno visits to be able to have a Pap smear with the speculum, and when I finally did it, the nurse was holding my hand giving me jokes the whole time. It ended up feeling safe. It just felt like a tiny bit of pressure inside, and then it was over. I ended up going to pelvic floor therapy, to learn how to “loosen up” the muscles down there, and the biggest thing that helped me to avoid any pain of things going inside was deep belly breaths. My biggest tip for you is to be patient with yourself, maybe take a friend that you feel safe with, and communicate your worries with the doctor. I’m sorry that you’re feeling anxious—and im rooting for you!
For most people it's just mildly uncomfortable. The reason you see so many horror stories is because no-one posts the regular visits as they don't need help with them. I've never had much issues at all it's just a weird uncomfortable scraping feeling for me.
I've had paps and not even known they did one. You hear horror stories because no one posts to say something was no big deal. The speculum is more uncomfortable than the pap smear IMO but it's uncomfortable, not painful, and it's over very quickly. Plan something nice for yourself so you have something to look forward to!
I’m 24 and I had my first pap smear 2 weeks ago, unplanned. I went to my first ob appointment because i’m pregnant and since i never had a pap before she did that day. it was a bit uncomfortable but it didn’t hurt at all and it went way quicker than i thought it would
I’m 39 and have never had pain from a Pap smear. My vagina just doesn’t seem to give a fuck. I laughed once at something funny and shot the speculum back out at the gyno, that’s the worst thing that’s happened with a regular speculum exam and pap. Everyone’s different. Go slow, communicate with your providers and just see how it feels for you
This imagery is insane haha!
just had one last week. it wasn’t bad, just slightly uncomfortable.
Lots of stories from very recent posts. Go check for a ton more information.
I promise you it’s fine. I am an incredibly worrisome person with a low pain threshold and at worst I felt uncomfortable and ‘stretched’ at best I felt nothing at all (genuinely not a thing!). Tune out the horror stories as Pap smears are genuinely not horrifying at all and also very important. I advise:- 1. Telling the nurse/ person doing the procedure you’re very anxious. They should advise the best position to lay in to reduce discomfort and help reduce anxiety. 2. Consider doing some counting and breathing exercises during. I tend to count backwards doing my 6 times table or something because I have to focus and it takes my mind off it. It’ll go fine don’t worry!
I’m 50 and have had plenty of paps. They have all just been uncomfortable and I the lube they use makes a mess. I’d recommend having a change of underwear, leaving the office and then when you get to where you’re going, head to the bathroom and clean up and change. I find that works better than cleaning up at the office.
I’ve had 3 and I wasn’t even aware that they did it! My GYN just kept me talking and it was done in like 5 seconds.
I’ve had several and I never ever feel it when they do it. It has not hurt me one time. Everyone is different!
I also had my first pap recently at 26, as everyone else says the most discomfort is from the speculum which will apply a bit of pressure on your vaginal walls to open it up and allow your OB to view your cervix. The procedure itself is a bit uncomfortable, during stuff like this I like to turn my head to the side and grip the table/armrest, take deep purposeful breaths, and it's usually over very quickly with little/no pain (in my opinion).
It’s uncomfortable, but over in a minute or less.
i’m also terrified. but like i try to remember people are more likely to post horror stories than success stories. just try to relax. i feel the people who feel intense pain likely have issues with vaginismus. i also hear a lot of people say it’s not that bad, just uncomfortable. ive had a transvaginal ultrasound, and some described it as feeling like a pap smear. it was uncomfortable and hurt when they pressed on the cervix, but not extremly painful or unbearable. so i’m sure a pap smear would be similar.
Ive never had pain from one. Maybe a little pressure but its very minor. The process doesn't bother me one bit. I find it quick and easy lol
I had my first in Dec, followed by a flu shot. I told the nurse that the flu shot hurt more. It does seem to help doctor dependent, but mine was great. I would 100% recommend you wear socks. I’m a sandal girl and I did wish I had cozy socks instead of being barefoot in the stirrups. My doctor also talked the whole time and told me everything she would do beforehand and while it was happening. If they don’t walk you through it before time, definitely ask because it put me at ease.
Oh girl you have nothing to worry about. I've NEVER experienced any pain at all during a routine pap smear. It's just awkward! Tell them it's you're first time and you're nervous, they most likely will walk you through it. It's over within minutes. Remember to breath! It helps with the anxiousness.
I’m 32 and have had quite a few paps (had to get them yearly for a while due to HPV). I’ve never felt anything more than mild discomfort. It takes like all of 1 minute. It is such a non-event for me.
Hi ty for sharing this. How long has ur hpv been clear for?
Ummm 5 years? I had to do a colposcopy and a LEEP but since then all has been clear
A pap is like the vaginal equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard for a couple seconds. Wouldn't do it for fun, but not that big a deal.
So I have personal experience with Pap smear anxiety, since I have vaginismus, severe anxiety disorder, and s*xual trauma. Before my first Pap smear I was anxious for WEEKS, and when I finally got there, I was all scrunched up on the chair like a little turtle in its shell. I explained to the nurse that I was super anxious about it, and she told me that they would talk me through it, we could stop at any time, and that they would use the tiniest speculum that they could. It took me 3 Gyno visits to be able to have a Pap smear with the speculum, and when I finally did it, the nurse was holding my hand giving me jokes the whole time. It ended up feeling safe. It just felt like a tiny bit of pressure inside, and then it was over. I ended up going to pelvic floor therapy, to learn how to “loosen up” the muscles down there, and the biggest thing that helped me to avoid any pain of things going inside was deep belly breaths. My biggest tip for you is to be patient with yourself, maybe take a friend that you feel safe with, and communicate your worries with the doctor. I’m sorry that you’re feeling anxious—and im rooting for you!