Pap Smear (Pap Test): Reasons, Procedure & Results

A Pap smear, also called a Pap test, is a routine screening procedure for cervical cancer. It's recommended once every three years for women starting at age ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribePapSmear(PapTest):WhattoExpectMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNA—WrittenbytheHealthlineMedicalNetwork—UpdatedonSeptember27,2021PapsmearbyageQ&APapsmearfrequencyPreparationProcedureResultsOverviewAPapsmear,alsocalledaPaptest,isascreeningprocedureforcervicalcancer.Ittestsforthepresenceofprecancerousorcancerouscellsonyourcervix.Thecervixistheopeningoftheuterus.Duringtheroutineprocedure,cellsfromyourcervixaregentlyscrapedawayandexaminedforabnormalgrowth.Theprocedureisdoneatyourdoctor’soffice.Itmaybemildlyuncomfortable,butdoesn’tusuallycauseanylong-termpain.KeepreadingtolearnmoreaboutwhoneedsaPapsmear,whattoexpectduringtheprocedure,howfrequentlyyoushouldhaveaPapsmeartest,andmore.WhoneedsaPapsmear?TheAmericanCancerSocietyrecommendthatscreeningshouldstartatage25.Somewomenmaybeatincreasedriskforcancerorinfection.Youmayneedmorefrequenttestsif:you’reHIV-positiveyouhaveaweakenedimmunesystemfromchemotherapyoranorgantransplantIfyou’reover25andhavenothadabnormalPaptests,askyourdoctorabouthavingoneeveryfiveyearsifthetestiscombinedwithahumanpapillomavirus(HPV)screening.Currentguidelinesrecommendthatpeoplebetweentheagesof25and65shouldhaveanHPVtesteveryfiveyears.HPVisavirusthatcauseswartsandincreasesthechanceofcervicalcancer.HPVtypes16and18aretheprimarycausesofcervicalcancer.IfyouhaveHPV,youmaybeatanincreasedriskofdevelopingcervicalcancer.Womenovertheageof65withahistoryofnormalPapsmearresultsmaybeabletostophavingthetestinthefuture.YoushouldstillgetregularPapsmearsbasedonyourage,regardlessofyoursexualactivitystatus.That’sbecausetheHPVviruscanbedormantforyearsandthensuddenlybecomeactive.HowoftendoyouneedaPapsmear?HowoftenyouneedaPapsmearisdeterminedbyvariousfactors,includingyourageandrisk.AgePapsmearfrequency<21yearsold,noneneeded21-29every3years30-65every3yearsoranHPVtestevery5yearsoraPaptestandHPVtesttogetherevery5years65andolderyoumaynolongerneedPapsmeartests;talktoyourdoctortodetermineyourneedsTheserecommendationsonlyapplytowomenwhohaveacervix.Womenwhohavehadahysterectomywithremovalofthecervixandnohistoryofcervicalcancerdonotneedscreening.Recommendationsvaryandshouldbeindividualizedforwomenwithcompromisedimmunesystemsorahistoryofprecancerous,orcancerouslesions.HowtoprepareforaPapsmearYoucanscheduleaPapsmearwithyourannualgynecologicalexaminationorrequestaseparateappointmentwithyourgynecologist.Papsmearsarecoveredbymostinsuranceplans,thoughyoumayberequiredtopayaco-pay.Ifyou’llbemenstruatingonthedayofyourPapsmear,yourdoctormaywanttoreschedulethetest,sinceresultscouldbelessaccurate.Trytoavoidhavingsexualintercourse,douching,orusingspermicidalproductsthedaybeforeyourtestbecausethesemayinterferewithyourresults.Inmostcases,it’ssafetohaveaPapsmearinthefirst24weeksofapregnancy.Afterthat,thetestmaybemorepainful.Youshouldalsowaituntil12weeksaftergivingbirthtoincreasetheaccuracyofyourresults.SincePapsmearsgomoresmoothlyifyourbodyisrelaxed,it’simportanttostaycalmandtakedeepbreathsduringtheprocedure.WhathappensduringaPapsmear?Papsmearscanbeabituncomfortable,butthetestisveryquick.Duringtheprocedure,you’lllieonyourbackonanexaminationtablewithyourlegsspreadandyourfeetrestinginsupportscalledstirrups.Yourdoctorwillslowlyinsertadevicecalledaspeculumintoyourvagina.Thisdevicekeepsthevaginalwallsopenandprovidesaccesstothecervix.Yourdoctorwillscrapeasmallsampleofcellsfromyourcervix.Thereareafewwaysyourdoctorcantakethissample:Someuseatoolcalledaspatula.Someuseaspatulaandabrush.Othersuseadevicecalledacytobrush,whichisacombinationspatulaandbrush.Mostwomenfeelaslightpushandirritationduringthebriefscraping.Thesampleofcellsfromyourcervixwillbepreservedandsenttoalabtobetestedforthepresenceofabnormalcells.Afterthetest,youmightfeelmilddiscomfortfromthescrapingorabitofcramping.Youcouldalsoexperienceverylightvaginalbleedingimmediatelyfollowingthetest.Tellyourdoctorifdiscomfortorbleedingcontinuesafterthedayofthetest.WhatdotheresultsofaPapsmearmean?TherearetwopossibleresultsfromaPapsmear:normalorabnormal.NormalPapsmearIfyourresultsarenormal,thatmeansthatnoabnormalcellswereidentified.Normalresultsaresometimesalsoreferredtoasnegative.Ifyourresultsarenormal,youprobablywon’tneedaPapsmearforanotherthreeyears.AbnormalPapsmearIfthetestresultsareabnormal,thisdoesn’tmeanyouhavecancer.Itsimplymeansthatthereareabnormalcellsonyourcervix,someofwhichcouldbeprecancerous.Thereareseverallevelsofabnormalcells:atypiamildmoderateseveredysplasiacarcinomainsituMilderabnormalcellsaremorecommonthansevereabnormalities.Dependingonwhatthetestresultsshow,yourdoctormayrecommend:increasingthefrequencyofyourPapsmears·gettingacloserlookatyourcervicaltissuewithaprocedurecalledcolposcopyDuringacolposcopyexam,yourdoctorwilluselightandmagnificationtoseevaginalandcervicaltissuesmoreclearly.Insomecases,theymayalsotakeasampleofyourcervicaltissueinaprocedurecalledabiopsy.Howaccuratearetheresults?Paptestsareveryaccurate.RegularPapscreeningsreducecervicalcancerratesandmortalitybyatleast80percent.Itcanbeuncomfortable,butthebriefdiscomfortcanhelpprotectyourhealth.DoesaPapsmeartestforHPV?ThemainpurposeofaPapsmeartestistoidentifycellularchangesinthecervix,whichcouldbecausedbyHPV.BydetectingcervicalcancercellsearlywithaPapsmear,treatmentcanstartbeforeitspreadsandbecomesabiggerconcern.It’salsopossibletotestforHPVfromthePapsmearspecimen,too.YoucancontractHPVfromhavingsexwithmenorwomen.Toloweryourriskofcontractingthevirus,practicesexwithacondomorotherbarriermethod.AllsexuallyactivewomenareatriskforcontractingHPVandshouldgetaPapsmearatleasteverythreeyears.Thetestdoesn’tdetectothersexuallytransmittedinfections(STIs).Itcanoccasionallydetectcellgrowththatindicatesothercancers,butitshouldn’tbereliedonforthatpurpose.LastmedicallyreviewedonJuly3,2019MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNA—WrittenbytheHealthlineMedicalNetwork—UpdatedonSeptember27,2021relatedstoriesEverythingYouShouldKnowAboutWhentoGetaPapSmearTestWhatDoesItMeanIfMyPapSmearTestIsAbnormal?CervicalBiopsyWhyAmIBleedingAfterMyPapSmearandHowLongWillItLast?HowDoYouKnowIfYouHaveCervicalCancer?ReadthisnextEverythingYouShouldKnowAboutWhentoGetaPapSmearTestMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNAGettingaregularPapsmeartestisanimportantwaytoscreenforSTDsandcervicalcancers.Learnhowfrequentlyyoushouldgetone.READMOREWhatDoesItMeanIfMyPapSmearTestIsAbnormal?MedicallyreviewedbyValindaRigginsNwadike,MD,MPHAnabnormalPapsmeartestdoesnotmeanyouhavecancer,butitcouldmeanthatyouhaveprecancerouscellsorHPV.READMORECervicalBiopsyMedicallyreviewedbyUniversityofIllinoisDuringacervicalbiopsyasmallamountoftissueisremovedfromyourcervix.Learnaboutthetypesofcervicalbiopsies,howthey'reperformed,and…READMOREWhyAmIBleedingAfterMyPapSmearandHowLongWillItLast?MedicallyreviewedbyHollyErnst,PA-CBleedingafteraPapsmearisn'tunusualandshouldn’tbeconcerning.Thereareseveralcommoncauses.We'lltellyouaboutthetypicalcauses,as…READMOREHowDoYouKnowIfYouHaveCervicalCancer?MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNACervicalcancercanbelife-threateningifitgoesundetectedoruntreated.Buthowdoyouknowifyouhavecervicalcancer?Weexplainwhatcauses…READMORECoronaryArteryDisease(CAD)SymptomsMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHCoronaryarterydiseasereducesbloodflowtoyourheart.Learnhowtorecognizecoronaryarterydiseasesymptoms,howtomanagethesymptoms,and…READMOREEverythingYouShouldKnowAboutWhentoGetaPapSmearTestMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNAGettingaregularPapsmeartestisanimportantwaytoscreenforSTDsandcervicalcancers.Learnhowfrequentlyyoushouldgetone.READMOREHealthTestsEveryWomanNeedsMedicallyreviewedbyKimberlyDishman,MSN,WHNP-BC,RNC-OBScreeningtestsareusedtodetectpotentialhealthproblemswhenthey’restilltreatable.Theycanpreventmoreseriousdiseaseandchangeasyouage.READMOREDoctorsEveryWomanNeedsMedicallyreviewedbyJudithMarcin,M.D.Yourdoctorsaretheretohelpyouandallwomenleadhealthylives.Learnhowtogetthemostoutofyourhealthcareteam.READMORETheBestWomen’sHealthBooksoftheYearFromnavigatingahealthydiettoyourmentalhealth,thesebookswillhelpshedsomelightonthecomplexworldofwomen'shealth.READMORE