i have vaginismus and vulvodynia. i got my first pap smear at 23 and even with these conditions and my chronic spasms, it was not painful. my gyno switched to smaller tools and used a plastic, regular sized cervical swab. i have been going to the gyno for years for ultrasounds and tests to get to the bottom of my irregular periods and check on my cysts and the pap smear was quick & painless, even with my conditions. a good gyno will understand how daunting it is, especially because people make it seem like the worst thing ever. my own anxiety and nervousness worsened my vaginismus and it ended up feeling like less than a tampon (which i've only been able to use recently because of pelvic floor therapy). pap smears have saved my mom and are now part of my routine checks to ensure that i am not dealing with my family's history with various vaginal conditions. it is intimidating, but like mammograms, they are absolutely necessary when it comes to maintaining your health & can be a matter of life or death, especially if you have a history of cysts, benign tumors that must be monitored, or any vaginal conditions that might not be easy to catch on an ultrasound (especially external ones). pap smears can suck, but making them seem like something horrific when they have been a massive part in understanding my own conditions and vaginal health is really saddening!!