Until the age of 32, cervical screening never hurt me. But after a severe thrush infection gave me nerve damage of the vulva (a chronic pain condition called vulvodynia) – it made getting my routine checkup now abnormally painful. Here’s how I’ve learnt to navigate this brave new world of vulval pain whilst making sure I get my cervical screening done when I need to.  

I know how important it is to attend your cervical screening appointment. Back when I was 25, I had an abnormal result back and precancerous cells. I was scared but so grateful they were caught. Because of my screening results, I’d be monitored more closely to make sure these cell changes were prevented from turning into cervical cancer. And lucky for me – my body managed to fight off the HPV virus and my cells returned to ‘normal’ all by themselves over five years. Phew.  

This scare though, made me realise how important it is to get checked when needed. So when my life changed with one severe yeast infection – I knew I had to find a way to manage this new pain to ensure I was still able to attend such an important appointment.  

Many women do not know this but a severe thrush infection (my one lasted two months), can – in some cases – irritate the nerves in your vulva. I am a woman prone to thrush, I used to get one outbreak every year since the age of 22 and treated it with the usual over-the-counter pessary. But by my 10th infection, the Candida albicans had become drug-resistant, the treatment failed and the infection lasted longer than the usual 10 days.  

It’s had a big impact on my life – I live with what feels like a permanent thrush infection,  I can’t work full-time anymore and my relationship with my partner has really suffered. But obviously, another concern is how I’m meant to feel able to attend my cervical screening, now the tests hurt. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from The Eve Appeal that have really helped:  

Firstly, I try and book a double appointment for my screening so that I’m not rushed for time. Getting stressed can magnify the pain for me, so taking the time pressure off does wonders for the whole experience.  

Secondly, I ask for the smallest speculum, which makes sure I don’t have to stretch the painful area as much as I did before I got nerve damage.  

Thirdly, I bring a pal along with me. My neighbour has become my best friend with all my gynae problems and having her there to hold my hand is a massive help.  

Fourthly, I bring my earpods along and psych myself up with some chilled music. Something like Enya in the background can really help chill out the mood and distract from what’s going on. 

With these techniques, I know I can ensure I keep up-to-date with cervical screening tests and maximise my chances of staying cervical cancer-free.