Afraid to ask?

DOES SHE NEED A SMEAR TEST?

Q I’ve just discovered my 16-year-old daughter and her boyfriend are sexually active. She is on the pill, but I’m worried that it’ll be almost 10 years before her first smear. Should she have one done privately?

A Cervical cancer in very young women is exceptionally rare and the NHS starts screening at age 25. She doesn’t need a smear (now called cervical screening) before then, but she should tell her GP of any abnormal bleeding, discharge or pelvic pain. It’s unlikely these symptoms are anything so serious, but her doctor would want to do some tests.