Blogger live streams her own smear test to show how easy it is

A YouTuber has live-streamed her cervical cancer screening, otherwise known as a smear test, to show women how simple the process can be.

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding smear tests, and with attendance plummeting to a 21-year-low last year, efforts to debunk some of the common misconceptions are needed now more than ever.

Hence why Anna Cribb, who runs a parenting blog called Hey Mummy, decided to film her appointment, and it’s already garnered more than 1.6 million views on YouTube.

In the 30-minute video, Cribb explains how she had an abnormal smear test result when she younger, which meant she had abnormal cells in her cervix.

She subsequently had a colposcopy, which is when a doctor takes a closer look at your cervix to determine whether or not treatment is needed to remove the abnormal cells, and this was followed by laser surgery, which she describes as “not a big deal”.

“I wanted to do this today because if there’s one person out there who’s had the letter reminding them to go for a smear, please book yourself in and go and do it,” Cribbs says in the video before the test begins, referencing the letter women in the UK receive aged 25 encouraging them to get their first smear test.

“If I hadn’t responded to that letter and gone for my cervical screening when I was younger, I might not be here today to make this live video for you because I might not have had the treatment I needed to have on the abnormal cells.”

Cribbs added that her grandmother died from cervical cancer.

She goes on to describe how it feels while having the test, which takes no more than a few minutes. While Cribbs admits that it’s not “a particularly comfortable thing”, she insists that it’s not painful and continues to talk to the viewer while the doctor inserts the speculum into her vagina to take a sample of cells from her cervix.

He then puts the brush he’s used to collect the cells into a small pot, which will be sent off to a laboratory to be tested for abnormalities.

In a blog post published after taking the test, Cribbs explains: “If I could encourage one person to go to their appointment by proving today that the test is not awful then this has been worth it.

“I want to remove the stigma and fear that so many women have of these tests. Having your smear may save your life.”

Robert Music, chief executive of the charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has praised Cribbs for raising awareness for an important issue.

“Sharing smear test experiences on social media such as Anna’s live stream can be a great way to inform and help to reassure other women," he tells The Independent.

"It’s really positive to see people talking about it openly and honestly. However we know that for some women, smear tests aren’t always easy and it isn’t always a case of being embarrassed. For some women, such as those with physical disabilities, survivors of sexual violence or women who have had previous bad experiences at a smear test, accessing the test can be difficult.

"We want women to know that they’re not alone if they find attending their smear test difficult and we are here if anyone needs support.”

Cribbs' video comes just two months after Chloe Delevingne took a smear test on live TV to show women just how easy it could be.