Lying on a bed with my knickers in my handbag and my legs wide open, I felt nervous about what was going to happen.
But don't worry, this isn't an incredibly inappropriate sexual experience I am sharing with the whole of Gloucester.
This is the story of my first smear test.
Going for a cervical smear isn't particularly high on a girl's to-do list, especially compared with checking fashion website Missguided for the latest dresses.
But last month I received the dreaded letter informing me that I was due for my first one and on the advice of my mother I booked my appointment right away.
Cervical cancer affects thousands of women each year and a smear test is an easy way to prevent it. Yet alarming statistics show that 20 per cent of women don't attend their appointment.
Lots of women worry that a smear test is embarrassing, but hopefully by sharing my experience, it will set some fears to rest.
The night before my smear test I was nervous. Very nervous. So I looked online for some advice.
Hundreds of forum users suggested I wear a skirt, plan something fun to do afterwards and take a family member or friend with you for moral support.
My trip to the doctors ended up being a full-on family outing. Mum crashed her car on the way home from her last smear (due to bad driving conditions rather than as a result of the test itself, I might add) and didn't want the same to happen to me.
My dad and dog came along just for the ride.
So there I was laid on a bed naked from the waist down with a paper sheet as a 'modesty cover' worrying that the nurse was going to notice my lack of waxing routine – I should clarify that my mum, dad and dog were not in the room with me at this point.
The nurse explained the procedure which involves a device called a speculum and another instrument that can best be described as a miniscule toilet brush.
Speculum. It's a word that I had never heard before and one I now rather enjoy saying. Speculum. For most women the only sight we get of a speculum is a fleeting glance in the hand of a nurse before it, um, disappears.
A turn of a cog and the speculum gently opened allowing the nurse to use the miniature toilet brush to scrape some cells from the cervix.
It was all done in a few seconds and apart from a slight bit of discomfort, it was pain free.
It's not a big deal at all, and so much better to have peace of mind. I now have to wait two weeks for the results, which in the scheme of things is much more daunting than the procedure itself. But if the results do come back showing an abnormality, at least I can deal with it early on.
If you have been called for a cervical smear test, do not put it off. It might not be your idea of fun but it is over in moments and could save your life.
