________________________________________________________________________
KEY POINTS
________________________________________________________________________
A Pap test is a screening test done during a pelvic exam. It checks for abnormal changes in the thin layer of cells that cover the cervix or vagina. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. The vagina is the birth canal.
The Pap test is also called a Pap smear or cervical smear.
This test is done to check for cervical cancer or precancerous changes in the cells called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Cervical cancer can be prevented if abnormal cells are found and treated before they become cancerous. Regular screening with Pap tests has reduced deaths from cervical cancer.
The Pap test may also detect vaginal infections such as yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, or trichomonas.
A human papillomavirus (HPV) test may be done at the same time as the Pap smear, using the same cells or different cells taken from your cervix. HPV infection can cause cervical cancer.
You should have your first Pap test at age 21, even if you are not sexually active. Then you should have a Pap test at least every 3 years until you are 65. You may need more frequent Pap tests if there are things that put you at a higher risk for cervical cancer or if you have had abnormal Pap tests.
You and your healthcare provider can decide what testing schedule is right for you. Your healthcare provider may also recommend a pelvic exam every 1 to 3 years. A pelvic exam is a checkup of your female organs, which include the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
A Pap test takes only a few minutes and is done during a pelvic exam. You will lie on your back on the exam table with your knees bent and the heels of your feet in stirrup heel holders. Your healthcare provider will put a small tool called a speculum into your vagina to hold the vaginal walls open during the exam. Your provider will use a small, soft brush to take a few cells from the cervix. The cells will be sent to a lab for testing.
The Pap test is not painful, but you may feel some discomfort when the speculum is put into your vagina.
If the test result is normal, you don’t need follow-up tests or treatment.
If the test result is abnormal, ask your healthcare provider what types of abnormal changes were found and what follow-up tests you might need.
Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your medical history and current health. Sometimes a test needs to be repeated to check the first result. Talk to your healthcare provider about your result and ask questions such as: