Interview 15

Age at interview: 52

Age at diagnosis: 52

Brief Outline:

Experience of inadequate smears. Abnormal smear in 2001. Waiting 6 month repeat smear.

Background:

Administrator; married, 2 children.

Her trust in her GP was important in reducing her anxiety about receiving an abnormal cervical screening test result.

I think may be if it had happened on my first smear I might be significantly more anxious about this. I think another really helpful thing is that I do actually have a lot of trust in my GPs generally and I really do think that if there had been anything wrong that they would have called me in and I think that's probably more significant than anything. The fact the letter was from the practice and they did give me this assurance and I did genuinely feel I could have gone in and spoken to them and that they would have given me the time, they would have given me the information I required. And that in itself was a consolation I think so I just didn't feel the need to go in, but as I say if things go wrong this time I will, even if it's an inadequate smear, I think I will ask for more advice, just for reassurance. But I'm not unduly concerned at this stage, we're not going to cross bridges before I get to them sort of thing.

Comments about options for where to go to have a smear test.

Whether it's just because I'm used to it coming and I'm used to going for a smear test now, I felt that the fact that I had all these options was actually quite helpful because may be if you're not getting on terribly well with your GP it's nice to know you can go somewhere else for your test. And it's nice to know that you can go to the practice nurse as well, or the GP if that's your preference.