ﾟ｡⋆ 𝑖 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒, 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 🧘🏻‍♀️

https://www.midol.com/about-my-period

𝒢𝑒𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒦𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 🍃💫 ( 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘴 ) ♡ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴/ 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 / 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥? ♡ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 / 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵? ♡ 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 + 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴? ♡ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩? 𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺? ♡ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 / 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴? ♡ 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘦 / 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ & ꜱᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ “Good morning, Ms!” Ms has hypersensitivity due to autism. Even a slight touch is unbearably painful! How will Ms get through the medical exam? Ms sits on the exam table, heart racing. Ms tries to focus on the poster of a serene beach scene to calm herself. Dr. Hartwell, noticing her distress, approaches carefully. "Ms I know this can be overwhelming. But I'm here to help you. We'll take it slow, okay?" Ms nods, gripping the cold metal bar tightly. He starts with gentle explanations of each step, his voice calm and steady. Ms tries to breathe deeply, fighting the urge to retreat. The door clicks shut, a soft, final sound that echoes in the sterile room. He asks if she's ready, and she shrugs. His gloved hand touches her skin, and she tenses. "Ms, I'm sorry," Dr. Hartwell says, retreating slightly. He tries a different approach, his voice softer now. "How about I touch with less pressure?" The pain subsides a fraction, but it still remains. Dr. Hartwell then gets out a big metal speculum. Ms sees it, feels it, she’s uncontrollably shaking. "Ms," Dr. Hartwell says calmly, placing the speculum down. “Sorry. To big and hard,” Ms manages. The doctor nods thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving hers. “Let's use this instead,” he says, picking up a smaller, plastic one. It's less daunting, less cold, but the pain lingers, unbearable. Ms grips the bar tighter, her knuckles white with strain. “You're doing great,” Dr. Hartwell whispers, his voice a balm. He inserts the speculum slowly, his eyes on her face, reading every twitch, every flinch. Ms squeezes her eyes shut, body rigid with tension. The plastic touches, slides, and she gasps, but it's more unbearable than she feared. Dr. Hartwell stops immediately, his expression filled with concern. "Would you like to insert it?" He gently withdraws the tool. They’re running out of time. He looks around the room. "How about we try this?" he asks, his voice a gentle coax. "You can sit in the chair, lean back, and I'll examine you that way." Ms nods, desperation in her eyes. Dr. Hartwell adjusts the chair, bringing the foot rest closer. He tells her to put her feet up, the action itself traumatizing. He takes the smaller speculum, coated it in gel, and tells her to breathe deeply. Dr. Hartwell proceeds, his movements precise and gentle. Ms feels the pressure, the intrusion. She whimpers. The doctor's eyes meet hers, filled with understanding. "Let's try this," he suggests, picking up a small object. "I'm going to use this cotton swab instead. It's softer, less intrusive." Ms nods, the fear lessening ever so slightly. The cotton swab touches her gently. The pain does not vanish, but it's tolerable, a dull throb instead of a piercing scream. The doctor's voice remains calm, guiding her through the motions. “Good. Now for a mammogram..” Ms feels a new wave of anxiety crash over her. The machine looms in the corner, cold and unforgiving. "It’s important we check everything today," Dr. Hartwell explains, his eyes kind and patient. "But I know this is hard for you. Can you please stand up and come…” Ms, however, is still shaking, knows her hypersensitive condition will render it. The doctor notices and quickly adapts. "How about we skip the mammogram for now and discuss other options?" They talk through alternatives, like manual self-checks at home. Dr. Hartwell assures her that her health is his priority. He's willing to work with her to find the best approach, one that's comfortable and effective. Ms feels a glimmer of hope, a hint of trust and gratitude. They agree on a plan: a manual exam for today, and they'll explore further options for if needed. Her eyes light up with hope. They go over the instructions, simple steps she can do herself. Ms feels empowered by the idea of having control over the process. The doctor's empathy is palpable. They practice together, a mock exam with a plastic model. Mis's hands shake slightly as she mimics his gentle touch. He corrects her grip, praising each small victory. “Your in need of two hormone inoculations.” Dr. Hartwell says. Mis's heart sinks. She hates the sharp sting, the feeling of invasion. She looks at the needle, so thin and yet so terrifying. Her anxiety spikes, her chest constricts, making it hard to breathe. Dr. Hartwell notices and nods. "Ok let's try something different," he says, his voice calm and measured. He shows her a cream, explaining how it can help. They apply it, waiting for it to work. Finally, the time comes. Dr. Hartwell holds the needle, his grip steady and firm. His touch is swift and sure, but Ms feels the pain, a sharp reminder of her vulnerability. “One down, one more to…” But she cries. Dr. Hartwell pauses, understanding in his eyes. "It's ok," he says gently. "We can find another way." He sets it aside and pulls out a small device. "This is a topical anesthetic spray. It will numb the area so you don't feel as much." Mis nods, desperate. He applies the spray, and she feels a coldness spread where the inoculation will soon be. The doctor waits patiently, letting the numbing agent work its magic. Mis's breathing slows, the panic easing slightly. "Ready?" he asks, his voice soothing. This time, the approach is less terrifying. It’s administered with minimal discomfort. Ms winces but does not pull away. The pain is there, but it's muffled. Dr. Hartwell nods, his expression a mix of relief and determination. "Good job, Ms. You're doing so well." Ms needs a blood draw. She's not just afraid of needles, but the anticipation of pain, the cold touch of the alcohol swab, the pressure of the phlebotomist's grip...it's all too much. Not to mention the actual poking prick.. Dr. Hartwell notices and suggests a compromise. They'll use a butterfly needle, smaller and more comfortable, and a warmer to heat before drawn. The nurse prepares the equipment, movements efficient and kind. She's used to dealing with anxious patients, but Mis's fear isn’t just fear or annoyance; it’s autistic condition and hypersensitivity that Ms herself knows limited pain tolerance. The nurse wraps the warm cloth around Mis's arm, and the gentle heat seeps. Dr. Hartwell takes his place beside her, holding the small butterfly needle with a cotton ball at the tip. The nurse places the heated alcohol swab on the inner elbow, and Ms tenses. It's a gentle poke and she feels the slight sting as the nurse inserts it. But of course the sting is magnified for Ms. The nurse is quick, her hands steady with expert ease, and the whole process is over in seconds. Mis's heart is racing, her body shaking. Dr. Hartwell rubs her shoulder, his touch a reassurance. "It's over," he says softly. "You did it." Ms nods. "What can we use for next time?" The nurse asks. “X-rays, different form of the hormonal injection where no needles are involved, urinal test instead of bleeding? A bigger room? Child sedatives?” Ms murmurs. Dr. Hartwell nods, scribbling down notes. "We'll explore all those options. In the meantime, you can go home!" “Thanks..” Ms says. The next appointment, Mis goes knowing her sensitivities have not changed. This time, Dr. Hartwell meets her in the hall. Mis breaks down, despite being gratefully understanding and trying to be brave. They take her to a quieter, more private exam room, decorated with soothing colors and a soft, plush chair. "Take your time, and tell when you're ready." Ms sits down. She sees a box labeled "DIY Health Kits" and feels a spark of curiosity. Dr. Hartwell opens the box, revealing an array of tools and instructions tailored to her needs. "This is your DIY health kit," he explains, his voice calm and soothing. "You can use to perform self-exams at home. It's less invasive, and you can do it on your own terms." Ms nods, a flicker of hope in her eyes, tears of relief instead of upset tears. He hands a small container with a test strip inside. "This is for urine. It's quick and easy, and it will tell what needs to know." Ms takes the container, follows his instructions, each step a small victory. Dr. Hartwell shows her a slim device, similar to a tampon but with a small cap. "This is DIY Pap. You insert it like so, then twist to collect a sample." The vibrating ice pack is next. "For finger pricks," he says, his voice calm. Ms looks at it, a strange mix of relief and curiosity. The thought of doing it herself is less terrifying than the clinic. "Now, let's talk mammograms," Dr. Hartwell says, his gaze soft. He shows her a handheld scanning device. "This is a DIY mammogram. It uses sound waves, no radiation, and it's less invasive than the traditional. You can use it in the privacy of your home, at your own pace. It's designed to be gentle." Ms nods, the fear slightly eased. The doctor opens another compartment in the DIY health kit, revealing a pack of colonoscopy strips. "These are for checking your bowel health. They're painless and easy to use. All you do is defecate on this, will tell what’s going on down there, ok?" Ms nods. The idea of self-examination is less daunting than the traditional methods. Dr. Hartwell's empathy is a balm, his patience unyielding. He opens the last compartment. Inside, she finds a set of small patches. "These are the hormonal patches," he says, holding one up. "They're like stickers. You just apply one to your skin, and it delivers the medicine through your skin. No needles." Mis's eyes widen. It's like he's reading her mind, offering a solution tailored to her fears. Ms feels a surge of gratitude to Dr. Hartwell. His understanding and willingness to adapt to her needs make her feel seen and heard, something she's not used to, in a medical setting. For the first time, Ms feels a glimmer of hope that she can take control of without the debilitating pain nor fear of ableist microaggressions. ( emojicombos.com/neurofabulous )

What’s the difference between an HPV test, a Pap test, and an HPV/Pap cotest? A Pap test, often called a Pap smear, looks for abnormal cells that can lead to cancer in the cervix. An HPV test looks for the human papillomavirus, a virus that can cause cervical cancer. For an HPV/Pap cotest, an HPV test and a Pap test are done together. For a patient at the doctor’s office, an HPV test and a Pap test are done the same way—by collecting a sample of cervical cells with a scraper or brush. The Pap test has been the mainstay of cervical cancer screening for decades. HPV tests are a newer method of cervical cancer screening. Two HPV tests have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a primary HPV test, meaning it is not part of an HPV/Pap cotest. Other HPV tests are approved as part of an HPV/Pap cotest. Why does the new guideline recommend an HPV test over a Pap test or HPV/Pap cotest? All three tests can find cervical cancer precursors before they become cancer. But studies have shown that HPV tests are more accurate and more reliable than Pap tests. Also, you can rule out disease really well with HPV tests so they don’t have to be repeated as frequently. Although the Pap test has led to huge drops in rates of cervical cancer and death from the disease, it has some limitations. Pap tests have lower sensitivity compared with HPV tests, so they may miss some precancers and have to be repeated frequently. They also detect a range of abnormal cell changes, including some minor changes that are completely unrelated to HPV. So, many people who get an abnormal Pap test result actually have a very low chance of developing cervical cancer. HPV/Pap cotesting is only slightly more sensitive than HPV testing, but it is less efficient because it requires two tests. And it detects a lot of minor changes that have a very low risk of turning into cancer. For an entire population, that’s a lot of additional effort and cost. Screening with an HPV test alone was not recommended by ACS in 2012 because that approach wasn’t yet approved by FDA. The 2018 USPSTF guideline included HPV testing alone, cotesting, and Pap testing as equal options. The difference in the new ACS guidelines is that they elevate HPV testing alone over the other two tests. Why does the new guideline recommend screening starting at age 25, instead of 21? Using information from new studies, ACS concluded that the benefits of cervical cancer screening do not outweigh the harms for people aged 21 to 24 years old. ACS recommends cervical cancer screening with an HPV test alone every 5 years for females with a cervix from age 25 until age 65. If HPV testing alone is not available, people can get screened with an HPV/Pap cotest every 5 years or a Pap test every 3 years. Not crucial for virgins to get tested These recommendations differ slightly from those given by ACS in 2012 and by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2018Exit Disclaimer. 2020 ACS 2012 ACS 2018 USPSTF Age < 21‒24 No screening Pap test every 3 years Pap test every 5 years Age 25‒29 HPV test every 5 years (preferred) HPV/Pap cotest every 5 years (acceptable) Age 30‒65 HPV test every 5 years (preferred) Pap test every 3 years (acceptable) Age 65 < and elder No screening if a series of prior tests were normal https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2020/cervical-cancer-screening-hpv-test-guideline Be sure you stress to the OBGYN if you're virgin (especially if you haven't even used tampons)

The need for a Pap smear as a virgin depends on individual circumstances, as political and medico-legal. Tests used to screen for cervical cancer include the Pap test and the HPV test. Your doctor can help you understand whether one or both of these tests is best for you. Are Pap Smears Necessary For Virgin Women? Pap smears are often unnecessary for virgin women unless they have smoked in the past (based on some studies) or their mother took DES (also known as diethylstilbestrol) during pregnancy between 1938 - 1971 to prevent miscarriage and premature delivery. In most cases, cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted disease, human papillomavirus (HPV). About 99% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV. In rare cases, HPV can also be transmitted during childbirth from mother to baby. Even if babies get the HPV virus, their bodies usually clear the virus on their own. HPV is thought to cause most cervical cancers. If you've never had any type of sexual intercourse, you're unlikely to have HPV.