A Pap smear, often referred to as a Pap test, should be a part of every woman’s routine health screening and pelvic examination, which also checks for problems in your uterus, ovaries, and other internal organs. A medical practitioner uses a special tool called a speculum to widen your vagina in order to collect a sampling of cells from the mucous and the tissue around the cervix, or the lowest part of your uterus.
This examination is rarely painful, but it may cause some minor discomfort. The cells are placed in a special solution and then sent to a laboratory where they are assessed and evaluated for the presence of abnormal, cancerous, and precancerous cells. A Pap smear does not screen for ovarian, uterine or vulvar (external genitals) cancers.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to detect and treat if caught early. A Pap smear poses little or no risk to you, can identify abnormal or irregular cells before they turn into cancer, and potentially save your life. The most invasive cervical cancer is found in women who forgo their regular Pap smear.
Cervical Cancer Risk Factors
Almost all cases of cervical cancer result from an infection by the human papillomavirus viruses (HPV), which also cause many of the vaginal, vulvar, anal, and even penile cancers. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI), but there are vaccines available that prevent any problems. During your pelvic examination, your doctor or health care provider can perform a second screening for HPV at the same time as a regular Pap smear, which is referred to as co-testing.
Other risk factors for developing cervical cancer are smoking, multiple sex partners, poor diet, being overweight, if you have, or had, a sexually transmitted disease such as HIV and Chlamydia, having been pregnant multiple times, and long-term use of oral contraceptives. Genetics is an important consideration; if your mother, daughter, or sister has had cervical cancer, your risks are greater.
Scheduling Screenings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that women have their first Pap smear at the age of 21 or within three years after becoming sexually active, and continue every three years until the age of 65 unless there are other risk factors. If you are a woman between 30 and 65 and have had normal Pap smear results and test negative for HPV, then screenings can be done every five years. The only situation that may change how often you need a Pap smear is if you have had a complete hysterectomy, including the cervix, for reasons other than cancer. Discuss your options with your doctor before you choose to stop any further testing.
