Take the fear out of having a cervical smear I was shocked to learn that around 1/3 of women eligible for a cervical screening never attend this potentially life saving intervention. And I get it. It's personal. It's intrusive. It's embarrassing. But, it is important. For some women it can be uncomfortable or even painful and these types of experiences can influence other women and put them off completely. For some, a bad experience or even a thought of a bad experience c