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Ever wondered if you really need that test where you have to lie on an examining table and put your feet in stirrups? Well, here's why it's so important.
A pap test, also known as a pap smear, checks the cells of your cervix (the narrow lower part of your uterus) for precancerous cell changes or cancer.
Your doctor will scrape a tiny sample of cells from your cervix, then he or she will send it to a lab to be examined.
The whole procedure takes less than five minutes and is relatively painless, although you may feel a little pressure or discomfort during the test, and there may be a small amount of bleeding afterward. You should get your results back in two to three weeks.
How often should I be tested?
Most women have a pap test once a year. Doctors recommend beginning pap tests three years after having vaginal intercourse for the first time or at age 21, whichever comes first. Your doctor will best advise you when to repeat the test.
As you may know, a necessary cause of Cervical Cancer is human papillomaviruses (HPVs). HPVs are a group of more than 100 viruses, and more than 30 of these different types of HPV can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Most HPV infections go away, but infection with high-risk HPV types can lead to Cervical Cancer.
If you’re sexually active, if you have an abnormal pap smear, or if you are 30 or older your doctor may suggest you get the HPV DNA test (which tests your cervical cells for HPV) along with a pap test. Most women do get HPV soon after they start having sex . Just because you aren’t tested for the virus doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t gotten it!
How to deal with the results
If your pap test comes back abnormal, don't panic—not all abnormal results mean something is wrong. Find out more about what you might be dealing with...
What are abnormal cells?
Sometimes pap test results can show that some of your cervical cells look abnormal. Your doctor will recommend a course of action to discover more about these cells and if they relate to the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV.
What are precancerous cells?
There are different types of precancerous cells with varying severity and significance. If your Pap smear tests positive for precancerous cells, your doctor will either suggest another pap test in a couple of months or may want to do a colposcopy or biopsy.
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical Cancer is an abnormal cellular growth on a woman’s cervix that can impact a woman’s ability to have children and Cervical Cancer can be fatal if not treated. It’s usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms and can be found with regular Pap smears—a test your ob/gyn performs by scraping cells from the cervix and looking at them under a microscope.
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