Trans man admits fear over ‘hairy legs and bound chest’ getting cervical smear

A transgender man has come forward to share his experience of undergoing a postmenopausal Pap test.

Freelance writer William Cuthbert of Brigg, Lincolnshire admitted he was ‘nervous’ about health professionals when he wrote for Subwaybecause he was a year late for his pap smear by the time he called to book the appointment.

He revealed that he knew he was late for the screening, but every time he tried to book the appointment, he was overcome with fear that his “bound chest and hairy legs” would raise questions from health professionals who might not believe that he qualified.

William Cuthbert (pictured), from Brigg in Lincolnshire, is open about his fears of booking a Pap smear after his transition – but thankfully he revealed his test results were clear

While he admitted he’d always found Pap smears uncomfortable, even before his transition, he was concerned about stripping naked from the waist down now that he’d come out as a man, which he feared would also make him feel “emotionally naked.”

He said, “What if medical professionals don’t know I’m a trans man? Will I be misinterpreted? How would I react to that?’

William added, “Having a vagina doesn’t make me any less of a man.”

William stressed that not everyone who has a cervix is ​​a woman, which he said was an “important” distinction.

After working up the courage to book a Pap smear, William braced himself to attend the screening.

When he arrived he was confronted with one of his main concerns when the nurse told him the operation was ‘screening women’ for HPV as part of the NHS cervical screening programme.

This terminology is common when searching for a smear test, although the NHS website now uses ‘people with a cervix’ rather than ‘women’.

William considered telling the nurse he was trans before deciding not to say anything. He remembered feeling like it wouldn’t make a difference to challenge one nurse.

However, he later admitted that he had “reconsidered his silence,” arguing that it was important to say something to counter the belief that anyone who goes for a Pap smear or an abortion is a woman.

Since the appointment, William has expressed regret for not speaking out – and has wondered if he could have changed anyone’s mind that day.

He admitted that the nurse didn’t specifically refer to his gender, suggesting she suspected he was a trans man — or perhaps suggesting she hadn’t looked at him “as closely” as he’d feared before booking the study.

Fortunately, William said the smear went smoothly and his results were clear.

“I wish I had gone sooner.” he admitted.

In everyday life, William goes beyond he/she pronouns and describes himself as a “trans witch” on his Twitter page.

GPs are trying to improve admission rates as figures show that in some areas up to half of women under 50 have not undergone cervical cancer screening within the recommended time frame.

A total of 220,000 British women are diagnosed with cervical abnormalities each year, and since the dwindling post-pandemic health services, many people are not booking their smear tests despite rigorous campaigning by the NHS.

In 2020, a Public Health England information leaflet for Pap smears sparked outrage among women’s rights groups after the word ‘women’ was not mentioned in a section describing who is eligible for the screening.

The Sunday Times reported in an early edition of the leaflet: ‘If you are a transgender (trans)man registered as a woman with your GP, we will send you invitations for a cervical screening.

‘If you are registered as a man, you will not receive any invitations, but your GP or practice nurse can make an appointment for you if you have a cervix. As a trans woman you don’t need a cervical examination.’

It was later revised to read: “Cervical screening is for women and people with a cervix.” Public Health England has since been dissolved and UK Health Security Agency and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

Despite the amendment, Nicola Williams, director of the Fair Play for Women campaign group, claimed the newer version could still cause confusion, as “women who don’t speak English as a first language may not know what “people with a cervix” means . ‘