This article describes the purpose of a pap smear and explains the procedure.
Significance
A Pap Smear is a gynecological test used to detect changes in a woman's cervix, the area at the entrance of the uterus. Changes in the cervical cells could indicate infection, or risk of cervical cancer, which, if caught early, is highly treatable.
Procedure
Pap tests are performed as part of a general pelvic exam. During the test, a doctor inserts a speculum into the patient and uses a special brush to collect cervical cells, which are swabbed onto a glass slide and studied by a lab.
Preparation
Do not schedule a pelvic exam to coincide with your period. A pap test should take place at least 10 days after menstruation. To prepare for a pap smear, avoid douching, using tampons, or having intercourse for two days before the test.
Considerations
Womenshealth.gov, a web resource about women's health issues, recommends that every woman get pap smears within three years of becoming sexually active, or by the time she is 21.
Exceptions
Women who undergo total hysterectomy do not have a cervix, so are at very low risk for cervical cancer.
Tags: cervical cancer, cervical cells, pelvic exam, risk cervical, risk cervical cancer
