Why should you not get a test if you're not sexually active? I realize that a smear test also tests for STD's (and pregnancies?) but I mean even if a woman isn't sexually active she can get cervical cancer correct? I don't know a lot about cervical cancer but still, I would think all women would need one.

No, it's only caused by the HPV virus which is sexually transmitted.

Also I don't think they test for anything other than cervical cell changes, not other STDs.

Ohhh ok, that's right, I remember hearing stuff about that.

I just saw the big word "cancer" and was like, wait a minute.... xD

Hehehe.

I think it's b/c I've been to the beach 3 times in 2 weeks. The sun is frying my brain. xD

It's not ONLY caused by HPV, but the majority of cervical cancers which are picked up on smear (not all types of cervical cancer are, there's rarer types that smears don't detect) are due to HPV.

And they don't test for other STDs, although you can ask for STD swabs to be taken at the same time.

AND, most women who contract the HPV virus have it do nothing to them. It's only in a small percentage where the virus causes cancer.

BECAUSE THE RISK OF GETTING CERVICAL CANCER IF YOU ARE NOT SEXUALLY ACTIVE IS TOTALLY MINIMAL, YO. AND BESIDES, IF YOU'RE NOT SEXUALLY ACTIVE, THE CHANCES OF THE SMEAR THING ACTUALLY GETTING INSIDE YOUR VAG IS PRETTY MINIMAL TOO.

BUT JADE HAS NEVER BEEN 'TASTEFUL' - WHY SHOULD SHE HAVE CHANGED JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS DYING?

BESIDES, THE IDEA THAT DYING AND DEATH HAVE TO BE HIDDEN AWAY, AND THAT IT'S DISTASTEFUL TO SHOW THEM TO THE WORLD, IS ONE SPECIFIC TO OUR CULTURE RATHER THAN BEING UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED. AND I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING A LITTLE UNHEALTHY ABOUT SUCH AN ATTITUDE, AND IT'S THE REASON SO MANY PEOPLE FEAR DEATH AND DON'T DEAL WITH IT WELL AT ALL. I DON'T THINK DEATH SHOULD BE A TABOO SUBJECT, AND I THINK THAT IN PUBLICLY SHOWING HERSELF IN HER DYING DAYS (WHATEVER HER REASONS WERE FOR SO DOING) JADE HAS REMOVED A LAYER OF THE TABOO.

AS FOR FAME, IT'S A FICKLE THING, YO. PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TALENT TO GET FAME. JADE SIMPLY HAD A RAW AND REAL QUALITY TO HER THAT WON THE PUBLIC'S HEART. OF COURSE NOT EVERYONE LIKES IT - BUT ALL ONE NEEDS FOR FAME IS TO BE POPULAR WITH A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION. AND JADE WAS.

Yes, RIP Jade Goody! She might have been an idiot at times, but at least she knew it. I quite grew to like her and her sincere transparency. Not many people ever admit or accept their faults, but she was always ready to hold her hands up, and there was something quite endearing and amusing about that.

Plus, I love how she was all: "I know I'm ignorant, but I'm going to make sure my sons have the best education money can buy so they don't grow up ignorant too." Of course there's more to ignorance than not being educated, but she was so gun-ho on giving her children the best start in life, that's very admirable.

And I dislike how people were critisizing her for selling her life/illness/wedding for such huge sums to the media, because if someone said to me: "Right, you're going to die in three months! You have about 90 days to secure your children's entire financial futures, whilst being incredibly ill!" I'd have sold out right-left-and-centre, and I'm sure any decent parent would have too.

Yes, I agree. I think that's what I respected most about her in her last few months, that she was so honest and accepting of her own ignorance, and so desperate to prevent her kids turning out like that. Unlike the many many ignorant people I've come across in both real life and on Bloop who will deny their own ignorance until they're blue in the face.

Well said Ryan. Don't really know anything about this Jade person but well said.

Regardless of tasteless, regardless of who she was, she did it for her kids. And that is good enough.

I have no idea who she is but I followed the story on PerezHilton.
Its so sad to see that she died so young, and so quickly.

One reason I stopped reading Perez Hilton... he goes on and on about the same stuff!

I am also one who thought she was exzaggerating (sp) I guess not! I thought it was a case of she had cancer and was stretching the truth, its no offence to her but you see so many people fake it then make a miraculose recovery! I will say I am not keen on the gal, that will not change just coz she has passed on. At the end of the day, I am glad she isn't suffering anymore, she isn't in pain. And yes I do feel sorry for her children and I understand why she made such a big who har about the whole thing, to leave her children with a secure future. However, she was just a normal person like everyone on this site, people get cancer, people die. My grandad died of cancer. I only met him twice. My sister had cervical cancerous cells removed a few years ago. Unfortuanutly Jade Goody will just be another statistic in my eyes.

I know I seem bitter but everyone has to die at some point, unfortuanutly some sooner than others but there are people in worse situations out there, there is others who may have suffered on their own and had no one trustworthy to leave their children with so she was very lucky in many ways.

YES, YO - SHE WAS TOTALLY JUST A NORMAL PERSON. (WELL, HER ANNOYING VOICE WAS A BIT ABNORMAL, I THINK! BUT OTHER THAN THAT, SHE WAS TOTALLY NORMAL). THERE IS NOTHING EXTRA SPECIAL ABOUT HER DEATH THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE'S. EXCEPT THAT SHE MADE IT PUBLIC - SHE LET THE BRITISH PUBLIC SEE HER WITH NO HAIR, AND SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE A NORMAL PERSON DYING OF CANCER. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT IS QUITE ADMIRABLE - SO OFTEN DEATH IS HIDDEN AWAY AND MADE ALL HUSH-HUSH. NO ONE WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE THEM IN THE UNGLAMOROUS ACT OF DYING. BUT JADE DID - AND I IMAGINE SHE HAS TAKEN AWAY A BIT OF THE TABOO SURROUNDING DEATH, AND GIVEN HOPE TO OTHER NORMAL PEOPLE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. SHE DEMONSTRATED HOW TO DIE WITH DIGNITY, YO. SO I THINK THAT SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED AS MORE THAN SIMPLY A STATISTIC.

I think why it affects me so much is because I am so very easily affected by seeing and hearing depressing things. And that's all you heard every day since she was diagnosed. I think that's why I have had such a strong reaction to it all. I prefer death being kept all hush-hush; I don't deal with strong emotions very well!

I THINK THAT IS A BRITISH REPRESSION THINGY, YO - THAT YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH STRONG EMOTIONS WELL. I THINK THAT IS THE CASE FOR AN AWFUL LOT OF BRITS, AND I THINK IT IS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT OUR CULTURE TRIES TO AVOID STRONG EMOTIONS AND KEEPS DEATH HUSH-HUSH. LIKE, IF WE WERE A CULTURE WHERE DEATH WAS MORE IN THE OPEN, PEOPLE WOULD DEAL BETTER WITH STRONG EMOTIONS. AND ALSO, PEOPLE WOULDN'T OVERREACT SO MUCH TO THINGS LIKE JADE'S DEATH AND PRINCESS DI'S DEATH, AND TURN THEM INTO SAINTS.

True true.
My family are very European though and aren't really the hush-hush type, so who knows where I got that from? University in Canterbury, possibly? ;D

But yeah, Princess Di was sad but that went on for years! Complete overkill. The British media strike again!

my parents friends wife is a cervical cancer surviour. she thought it was amazing what jade did in terms of not hiding away, showing exactly what cancer can do and raised awareness for women- and even men- to get checked/check themselves for cancer. and as for raising money for her kids future by exploiting the media- id do it too! and i highly doubt id care what others thought! my babies come first before myself and the rest of the world.

YES, YO - I THINK MOST WOMEN WOULD DO THE SAME. I'D SAY THEIR CRITICISM OF JADE IS SIMPLY SOUR GRAPES BECAUSE THEY KNOW SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THEM. BUT IF IT WERE, THEY WOULD JUMP AT IT. PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO COMPLAIN THAT LIFE IS NOT FAIR WHEN OTHERS GET ADVANTAGES THEY DON'T GET - BUT THE MOMENT THEY GET UNFAIR ADVANTAGES THEMSELVES, THEY STOP COMPLAINING.