PAP Smear Guidelines for All Women Out There

A Pap smear is a screening approach for cervical cancer. The test is conducted to gauge cancerous or precancerous cells present on your cervix. The cervix is the opening of the uterus.

During the routine is conducted, cells from the cervix are examined for abnormal growth. It doesn’t usually cause any future pain but is often mildly uncomfortable.

Keep reading to find out more about cervical smear and know the guidelines for all women out there.

Facts you should know about Pap smears

• Cells are collected from the woman’s cervix while pelvic exams are spread on a slide for evaluation.
• The cells are examined for abnormalities, specifically for cancerous and pre-cancerous changes.
• A woman may experience a tough amount of spotting (light vaginal bleeding) immediately after a Pap smear, but heavy or excessive bleeding isn’t normal.
• Up to 80% of women diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix hasn’t had a Pap smear within the past 5 years.

Guidelines

Current guidelinesTrusted Source recommends that girls get regular Pap smears every three years starting at age 21. Some women could even be at increased risk of cancer or infection. you’ll need more frequent tests if:

You’re HIV-positive

You have a weakened system from chemotherapy or a transplant.

If you’re over 30 and haven’t had abnormal Pap tests, ask your doctor about having one every five years if the test is combined with a person’s papillomavirus (HPV) screening.

HPV may be a virus that causes warts and increases the prospect of cervical cancer. HPV types 18 and 16 are the primary causes of cervical cancer. If you’ve HPV, you’ll be at an increased risk of developing cervical cancer.

Women over the age of 65 with a history of normal Pap smear results would even be able to stop having the test within the longer term.

You should still get regular Pap smears supported by your age, regardless of your sexual activity status. That’s because the HPV viruses are often dormant for years then suddenly become active.

Over to you:

A cervical smear may be safe thanks to a screen for cervical cancer. However, a cervical smear isn’t foolproof. It’s possible to receive false-negative results — meaning that the test indicates no abnormality, albeit you are doing have abnormal cells. Although it’s possible for abnormal cells to travel undetected, time is on your side. Cervical cancer takes several years to develop. And if one test doesn’t detect the abnormal cells, subsequent tests presumably will.