#pap smear
❄️Pappy Holidays❄️
There’s nothing quite like a Pap smear Christmas tree to rock around this happy holiday season!
by the awesome @instapatologia [Insta]
Someone asked us:
Do virgins need Pap smears? I’m 24 years old, have never had sexual contact of any kind, and I know you’re supposed to start getting them at 21. Is it even possible for me to get the cancers Pap smears screen for? Is there an age that I should start getting them even if I haven’t had sex? I’m asexual, aromantic, and have never had a sex drive, so I’m not worried about ever catching HPV or developing any virus-caused cancers, but is there anything else a Pap test is for?
Going to the doctor for a wellness visit is important, whether you’re sexually active or not. Your doctor or nurse will tell you which tests you need and how often you should get them. But if you haven’t had any sexual contact with anyone, your nurse or doctor may decide not to perform a routine Pap test (AKA Pap smear).
Sexually active people between the ages of 21 and 25 need to get a Pap test once every three years to check for abnormal cells in the cervix that are caused by HPV. HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact with genitals, as well as oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Abnormal cells in the cervix can lead to cervical cancer, so it’s important to get a Pap test when your nurse or doctor recommends it.
You can schedule a wellness visit at your local Planned Parenthood health center.
-Attia at Planned Parenthood
I finally finished grad school! I kinda almost didn’t, but I explained my depression issues and they were super understanding about me not getting the type of grade I needed in one of my classes.
I completely forgot to post an update on my HPV status. I found out several weeks ago that I am now HPV-free. I’m so fucking relieved. I don’t have to worry about giving anything to anyone and I don’t have to worry about cancer. Thank the metaphorical excuse for a goddess that people in my age group clear that shit out.
I’m also about to move out of A2 in a few days. I’ve been making a bunch of new friends over the past month, so I’m actually sad about it. I’ll be okay, and I know I’ll meet awesome new people in the DMV (I already have started to, in fact). It just sucks. I was finally getting a group of kinky/poly/feminist/sex positive/fucking awesome friends (as opposed to just multiple friends), and now I kinda have to start over. I mean, I’ll keep up with them, and visit them and they will visit me, but it does give me a bit of the sads.
I finally had sex with a lady! It was fun, and I really enjoyed it, even if she wasn’t exactly my type. I apparently was not terrible, and definitely not as bad as teenage boy, which is how I felt.
I have three gentlemen (lol gentlemen) in my life right now. Since this is a navel-gazing sex blog, I’ll call them by nicknames that amuse me.
There’s British Lad ™. I actually met this guy on kik. I never thought I’d like someone from there, since it’s mostly terrible people, but I was wicked horny for a period of time (16 orgasms in about 10 hours, thank you!) and I found this guy who told me a really hot story. It was so good that I was willing to send him a picture of my tits. I never do that. He then sent me a picture of his cock when I asked, and when I saw it, I actually got turned on. I’m sorry, but cock shots never turn me on. So, I asked for more pictures, and he asked for more, and we’ve been going back and forth with pictures and stories and mmmph. He hasn’t told me his real name, and honestly, I don’t care. Someone whose pictures give me gina tingles (worst phrase)? I’ll take it. He’s somewhat dommy, and likes to play with that, which is fun.
Then there’s the lovely dommy guy I’ve been playing with in A2, who I met off OkCupid. (I’ll have full stories later). I told my Breastie* that I wanted an amusing nickname but couldn’t think of one. She came up with My Lord and Master (MLAM for short). It’s perfect because no. Not exactly his style. As in, he’s wickedly dominant when he wants to be, but most of the time he’s like a caffinated Labrador puppy. Just excited, and curious, extroverted as fuck, and genuinely interested in other people. He’s also nicely left-leaning and has enough feminist cred that I let him say shit about it when he’s domming me. I’m really sad to be leaving, because his style is perfect for me. More details later, but long story short, he’s ridiculously good about checking in and enthusiastic consent, he can read me pretty darn well, he likes reactions, so he’s interested in doing what his partners want, and he’s very good at the psychological side of things. (Holy fuck when he plays with my feminism…but that’s for another post. Basically, the term “feminist bitch” now makes my pussy wet in a way that slut no longer can.)
Finally, we’ve got my soon-to-be local boy (Or, rather, man. He does happen to be 6 years older than I am.), Former President (FP). This guy messaged me on the OkCupes, and PHEW. His first message referenced my rejection of mind-body dualism, our sexual compatibility, and said he was mostly “looking for a good conversation about feminism and deconstructing binaries.” Yes plz. Well, we did end up turning the conversation towards kinks pretty darn quickly, I’ll admit. What can I say? I was horny and excited to find someone good in my area. We’re very sexually compatible (and also have similar politics and interests outside of kink, in many ways). He does switch, and enjoys pegging as part of that, but is mostly dominant. He likes consensual nonconsent, rough sex, impact play, biting, hair pulling, spanking, etc. He shared a really hot story with me that definitely served as masturbation inspiration, and thinking about being handed over from MLAM to him (like a possession that you give to someone and show them how best to use) has definitely pushed me over the edge a few times during masturbation. He likes causing tears, which is interesting to me, since I’ve found I like being made to cry, at least through pain. We’ve been talking for a good couple weeks now, and we have a date set up for May 9th. Of course, I’ll share that story as soon as possible.
My only complaints are that he used “masculinity” instead of “cock” in a sexy story, and that he capitalized “Domly” in a message. The first thing is just kinda not hot to me, but the second I’m just like “Nope.” Because 1. Domly just sounds to serious for such things, in my opinion (I like “dommy” because it’s just a softer word, and is the right amount of playful) and 2. Capitalization games are absurd and obnoxious. I’m giving him a pass because it was in the context of the sentence “So even when I’m being Domly it’s extremely important to know my partner is getting exactly what she wants, as I’m hard-wired to get off on that approval.”
I have to finish writing up some entries about what I’ve been up to lately, but hopefully I’ll post those soon.
*because she has a large bust and is my bestie and ahahaha one of my other friends (Legal Lolita) came up with that one because I can only come up with nicknames easily when it comes to really obvious things or silly boys.
Today I got a call from my doctor. I had pap smear the other week and she was calling with the results. She told me the pap was normal. But I now have HPV.
I was scared and worried. Scared of cancer and what this means for my health. Worried about telling Z and about the impact on my sex life.
I ended up telling my dad, who was in the store with me, and then I told my best friend. My dad was understanding, and I did tell my mom. Silver lining, I had a conversation with my dad about the fact that I’ve had sex. He said he knew and that they aren’t naive, although my mom did decide to ask “how could this happen?” although that could have been in regards to the fact that I’ve had the vaccine. But at least I was able to have an adult conversation with my dad about it where I discussed the fact that I’ve had sex.
I was worried about Z. He’s a great guy, but I had no idea how he would react. I was worried he might break up with me or blame me. In reality, he listened, asked some questions, felt sorry for himself, but an appropriate amount, was sympathetic, hugged me when I talked about my fears, talked about who gave it to who, but eventually decided it was probably him. I don’t blame him if it was. In fact, supposedly the ex he thinks he might have got it from had the strain tested and it didn’t cause cancer. At the end of the conversation, I was feeling closer to him than before. I’d been feeling distant during our rough two week separation, but now I feel as close or closer than ever.
I’m still worried that I might have cancer, because the Internet says the strains they test for are the ones that cause cancer. That fear most likely won’t go away entirely. But I also know that most of the time, people get HPV and it goes away without causing any symptoms. And I know that a lot of people get it. I also know that now I need to tell M about it. He’s not at much risk, but it’s also my responsibility. I guess I should also tell C and H. I wish there was a test for people with penises. It’s ridiculous that most doctors won’t test for it.
Right now I’m feeling okay. Z reacted better than I could have expected, and I’ve talked myself down from being actively frightened about cancer.
For patients with a history of sexual trauma, pelvic exams may trigger PTSD symptoms. The techniques of trauma-informed care can lead to an easier exam.
Studies show that trauma survivors want providers to ask about sexual trauma before the exam (that is, while the patient is clothed and seated). During the exam, patients prefer that the clinician listens, anticipates each step of the procedure, and affirms the patient’s control over the exam. For example, giving women the option of self-inserting the speculum has been shown to lower patients’ anxiety and pain.
Clinicians should use the following patient-centered techniques to lower patients’ anxiety:
- Establish rapport before the exam. In some cases, this means doing the exam at a separate visit.
- Invite the patient to suggest measures that will make her more comfortable with the exam.
- Allow a support person to accompany the patient during the exam.
- Allow the patient to choose a female examiner if she prefers this.
- Before starting, inform the patient that the exam will stop if she feels uncomfortable. Assure her that she has control over the pace.
- Tell the patient about each step of the exam right before it happens.
- Keep the patient’s body covered, exposing only the areas being examined.
- Encourage the patient to breathe abdominally in order to relax her pelvic floor muscles.
- Rest the unopened speculum against the patient’s vagina so that she can get used to the sensation before the speculum is inserted and opened.
- Use the smallest possible speculum.
- Use lubricant.
- Offer self-insertion of the speculum.
- Offer frog-leg positioning without stirrups. Call stirrups “foot rests.”
If the patient does not want to continue the exam, the clinician should stop, inquire about the patient’s needs, and proceed only when the patient is ready.
This is how all exams should be performed - we never know who has experienced trauma.
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Of all the nights to be horny haha and I can’t even masturbate cause I’m getting my Pap smear tomorrow ladies make sure you get your Pap smears! Especially if you’ve never gotten one before, they are very important and detect cervical and ovarian cancers! My first ever Pap smear showed pre-cancerous cells which I would have never known otherwise so it literally saved my life! It was caught early enough so that I was able to get those cells removed!
