Do Pap smears hurt if you are a virgin?
I'm looking to get birth control. According to my doctor, I need to get a pap smear/vaginal exam before I can get a prescription. It was also recommended by my doctor to include pap smears as part of my annual/wellness examination. Now, I hate doctor appointments to begin with and I'm always filled with anxiety, so I would be worried about a pap smear anyway. Except there's one thing that really worries me: I'm still a virgin. Apparently, when they do pap smears they check your uterus. Does anyone have any advice/wisdom/warnings to calm my nerves before the dreaded exam? Does it hurt? Or will just feel discomfort? So, people are asking for my age, I'm 19 but my older sister has had pap smears and there was indication of cancerous cells and possible abnormalities. She then had to do a colposcopy (with biopsy). Now, the biopsy came back clear but now because there was evidence of precancerous cells, she does it every 6 months. Because of our obvious close genetic relations, this was the reason it was recommended to me. So, I'm going in to get one done as part of my preventive care.
Achieve your health goals from period to parenting.