‘It was over before I knew it’

People not knowing about options to make their cervical screening easier and more comfortable is “costing lives”, a cancer charity warned last month.

To find out what having the test is really like for first timers, the BBC spoke to six people who have had their first cervical screening, formerly known as a smear test, in the last six months.

Cervical screenings, offered by the NHS to all women and people with a cervix aged 25-64, test for the presence of certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes 99% of cervical cancers.

During the test, a nurse uses a speculum – a tool to open the vagina – and a brush to take a sample of cells from the cervix.

This is what having the test done for the first time was like for six people, and what they wish they’d known beforehand.

People can ask for adjustments to make their screening easier or more comfortable. These include:

• A smaller speculum (the tube-shaped tool that’s inserted into the vagina to help the nurse to take the sample)
• A longer appointment so you’re not rushed
• More lubrication
• Moving to a different position
• Inserting or guiding the speculum yourself
• Bringing a friend for support

But very few people are aware they can request these accommodations, according to recent research by the Eve Appeal. Less than a quarter of people surveyed said they knew they could request a smaller speculum and only 12% said they knew they could ask for a double appointment.