When should you worry? (Part 2)

2. Now that I am in my forties, do I still need to have regular smears?

   Smear tests are still important if either you or your partner have new sexual partners. If your smear has always been normal, once every three years is enough. But if there is a history of abnormal smears or, if you, or your regular partner, have other partners, you should have an annual smear. If an abnormality has been detected, more frequent smears are needed. There is another test, the HPV culture, that gives a very good idea of how likely a woman who has had trouble in the past will have a recurrence. However, you probably won’t be offered an HPV (human wart/papilla viruses) culture test, as the NHS doesn’t carry them out routinely.

3. Since my early twenties, I have leaked urine when coughing, sneezing, playing tennis or even laughing. Over the past few years this has started to get much worse. Why?

   One adult woman in three suffers from this – but few, unlike you, are prepared to talk about it, even to their doctor. Too many suffer in silence and just assume that it’s an inevitable sign of ageing. They’re wrong.

   The sort of incontinence that causes leaking when laughing, coughing and lifting heavy weights is known ass stress incontinence. Although it often follows, or is made worse by childbirth, women without children can also get it. Another type of incontinence is urge incontinence. People who suffer from this have an irritable bladder and may have to regularly rush to the loo. Some people have a combination of both these types.