About Pap Smears
Everyone talks about how important it is to get a regular pap smear, but what actually is a pap smear? Pap smears are typically performed during a pelvic exam, where your OBGYN will do a physical examination of your reproductive system to check for any abnormalities or concerns.
Pap smears serve a very important purpose for you and your reproductive health. Not only can they detect cervical cancer cells, but they can catch potential precancerous cells that can develop into cervical cancer if left untreated. This test can also detect the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that greatly increases your risk of developing cervical cancer at some point in your life. These tests can also detect other STIs such as chlamydia. A pap smear is a crucial preventative test that when done regularly can help prevent the development of cervical cancer.
Thinking about scheduling your next annual pap smear? Our team of physicians at Women’s Health Arizona provides routine pap smear testing across all of our locations in the Greater Phoenix and Prescott areas.
Screening For Cervical Cancer
In the United States alone, an average of around 11,500 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed per year. However, routine pap smears can reduce the rate of cervical cancer by around 80%. Pap smears catch precancerous cells in your cervix before they develop into cancer, and treatment of these precancerous cells can prevent the development of cervical cancer. Pap smears can also catch cervical cancer in the early stages where symptoms may not be noticeable yet to patients.
Do I Need a Pap Test?
How often you need a pap smear test depends on multiple factors, including your age, the results of any previous pap smear tests, and your risks for developing cervical cancer.
The general rule of thumb is to get your first pap smear at 21 years old unless you have concerns or conditions that need to be monitored sooner.
If you are between 21 and 24 years old, you can get a pap smear done every 3 years.
From ages 25 to 65, you can get your HPV and pap smear tests done every 5 years.
After the age of 65, you no longer need routine pap smears.
Looking for a Pap Test Near Me?
Women’s Health Arizona is a team of OBGYN physicians located in the Phoenix metropolitan and Prescott area. We are dedicated to providing high-quality patient care for all stages of life. Our medical professionals offer both annual wellness exams and other outpatient services such as fertility assessments and minimally invasive surgeries. With over 120 medical providers located throughout the Greater Phoenix and Prescott area, we are actively taking new patients and ready to work with you on maintaining your reproductive health.
Our offices are scattered around the Greater Phoenix and Prescott areas, including Central Phoenix, East Valley, North Valley, Southeast Valley, West Valley, and Northern Central Arizona. Find the branch that is closest to you and schedule your annual visit and pap smear today!
Treatment Techniques
If your pap smear screening comes back with abnormal cells, your OBGYN may schedule further tests to double-check those results and check for abnormalities with your cervix. If there are abnormal cells found in your cervix, there are a couple of different treatment options and techniques to remove those cells. These techniques include a LEEP procedure and a colposcopy.
LEEP
A loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP) is a procedure done in your physician’s office to safely remove abnormal cells from your cervix. A local anesthetic is injected into the treatment area, and a small wire loop is moved toward the cervix. A small electrical current is sent through the loop, removing the abnormal cells and collecting them for further testing. Patients who have this procedure report experiencing mild vaginal discharge and/or cramping afterward that only lasted for a short period after the test.
Colposcopy
A colposcopy is also done in your physician’s office and is performed after abnormal pap smear results. Your OBGYN will use a colposcope to take internal pictures of your cervix and the surrounding area to look for any visual abnormalities or abnormal cells. No anesthesia is required, and you should only feel mild discomfort from the insertion of the tools. A colposcopy can help your physician determine if a biopsy of your cervix is necessary.
How to Prepare For Your Pap Smear
So you have your pap smear test scheduled—is there anything you need to do beforehand to prepare for your test? While there is no specific preparation required for a pap smear, there are some precautions you can take to make sure that your test results are as accurate as possible. Try to avoid intercourse, douching, and using any vaginal medicines or treatments for two days before your scheduled appointment. These can alter your test results and throw false abnormal results even if there are no abnormal cells present in your cervix.
If you have had intercourse before your appointment, you do not need to worry about rescheduling it. Pap smear screenings can still be done, just be sure to let your medical provider know beforehand so they can take that into account when reading your test results.
If you have already scheduled your appointment but suddenly get your period, that is totally fine. Both your pelvic exam and your pap smear can still be done while you are on your period, just be sure to let your medical provider know beforehand so they can plan accordingly.
FAQ
When should I get my test results?
It could take your healthcare provider up to three weeks to get your results back from the lab. They will get in touch with you once they have received and read your results, and they will discuss scheduling your next pap smear or if further testing will be needed.
Does a pap smear hurt?
Getting a pap smear should not hurt, but you may feel some discomfort. You may experience light bleeding afterward, but there should not be any pain or cramping. If you experience pain or discomfort that lasts longer than a few minutes or bleeding that lasts longer than 24 hours, get in touch with your healthcare provider.
How long does a pap smear take?
Pap smears are done in the office by your healthcare provider. The test itself only takes a few minutes, and you should not feel any pain.
Contact Women’s Health Arizona Today!
Looking to schedule an annual checkup or routine testing with an OBGYN? Contact Women’s Health Arizona online to talk to a physician and get your pap smear test taken care of. We have offices located throughout the state of Arizona and are available to take on new patients!
