What's a pap smear?
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A Pap smear is a medical procedure in which a sample of cells from a woman's cervix (the end of the uterus that extends into the vagina) is collected and spread on a microscope slide. The cells are examined under a microscope in order to look for pre-malignant (before-cancer) or malignant (cancer) changes.
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I think it's a swab sample taken from the vagina, and it's used to check for cancer, infections, and whatever other nasty crap you can get going on in your vagina.
I'm not totally sure about that though... so don't quote me or anything.
A doctor uses a small brush to scrape cells off your cervix (the opening to your uterus). It's done to check for HPV, which causes cervical cancer.
In gynecology, the Papanikolaou test or Papanicolaou test (also called Pap smear, Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a medical screening method, invented by Georgios Papanikolaou, primarily designed to detect premalignant and malignant processes in the ectocervix. It may also detect infections and abnormalities in the endocervix and endometrium
The Pap test, also called a Pap smear, checks for changes in the cells of your cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that opens into the vagina (birth canal). The Pap test can tell if you have an infection, abnormal (unhealthy) cervical cells, or cervical cancer.
A Pap test can save your life. It can find the earliest signs of cervical cancer - a common cancer in women. If caught early, the chance of curing cervical cancer is very high. Pap tests also can find infections and abnormal cervical cells that can turn into cancer cells. Treatment can prevent most cases of cervical cancer from developing.
What is a Pap smear?
A pap smear is a test your doctor does to check for signs of cancer of the cervix. The cervix is part of your uterus (womb). During a Pap smear, your doctor takes a sample of cells from your cervix to be tested.
To take the sample, your doctor will put a special instrument called a speculum into your vagina. This helps open your vagina so the sample can be taken. Your doctor will gently clean your cervix with a cotton swab and then collect a sample of cells with a small brush, a tiny spatula or a cotton swab. This sample is put on a glass slide and sent to a lab to be checked.
What is the sample checked for?
The cells on the slide are checked for signs that they're changing from normal. Cells go through a series of changes before they turn into cancer. A Pap smear can show if your cells are going through these changes long before you have cancer. Cervical cancer is not life-threatening if it's caught early. This is why getting regular Pap smears is so important.
What do the results mean?
A negative Pap smear means that your results are normal. A positive Pap smear means that your results aren't normal.
A positive Pap smear can be a sign of a number of changes in the cells on your cervix:
* Inflammation (irritation). This can be caused by an infection of the cervix, including a yeast infection, infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) or herpes virus, or many other infections.
* Very early signs of cancer. These changes are called dysplasia.
* More serious signs of cancer. These changes affect the top layers of the cervix but don't go beyond the cervix. This is called "carcinoma in situ."
*More advanced cancer.
When should you have Pap smears?
You should have your first Pap smear when you start having sex or by age 18.
Continue having a Pap smear once a year until you've had at least 3 normal ones. After this, you should have a Pap smear at least every 3 years, unless your doctor thinks you need them more often. Keep having Pap smears throughout your life, even after you've gone through menopause.
Certain things put you at higher risk of cervical cancer. Your doctor will consider these when recommending how often you should have a Pap smear.
If you're older than 65, talk with your doctor about how often you need a Pap smear. If you've been having Pap smears regularly and they've been negative, you may not need to keep having them.
Hope this helps..
cleans your pikpik...
A Pap smear is a test your doctor does to check for signs of cancer of the cervix. The cervix is part of your uterus (womb). During a Pap smear, your doctor takes a sample of cells from your cervix to be tested.
To take the sample, your doctor will put a special instrument called a speculum into your vagina. This helps open your vagina so the sample can be taken. Your doctor will gently clean your cervix with a cotton swab and then collect a sample of cells with a small brush, a tiny spatula or a cotton swab. This sample is put on a glass slide and sent to a lab to be checked
if you dont know ,then you dont need to know.
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