Pap Smear Test
December 2, 2008
A pap smear test is also known as Pap test. It is a medical procedure in which a sample cell from a woman’s cervix is taken out for medical exam and smeared (spread) on a microscopic slide in order to examine and observe the pre-malignant/malignant condition of cervix. It is a simple, quick and apparently painless test procedure.
Although it is one of the common tests done for checking and diagnosing cervical cancer somehow there are still some questions about the accuracy of the specificity of this clinical test procedure and that is why despite of having regular Pap screening test some women experienced development of cervical cancer in her later period of life.
Mostly Pap smear test is done to detect minor type of cellular abnormalities before these become malignant and to arrest the abnormalities in the primary condition where the problem can be treated easily. Pap smearcase is done to detect only cervical cancer not other cancers like ovarian cancer or uterine or vaginal cancer.
Intense research and minute survey has exposed some conditions under which a woman becomes more prone to develop cervical cancer or to have precancerous modification in the cervix.
Those women having smoking habit are prone to have abnormal Pap smear reading which means they are more vulnerable to cervix cancer.
Those women, who are suffering from weak immunity system due to some chronic disease or due to some long-term medications, are susceptible to have precancerous changes in cervix which can be detected by Pap smear test.
Some medicines taken in pregnancy period may cause cervix cancer in the baby (if she is a baby-girl) in her later life.
Other risk factors include having multiple sex partner and being sexually active in early young age.
A woman should have Pap smear test between 10 -20 days after the first day of her last menstruation. Prior to testing (last two days) she should avoid all kind of creams, foams or vaginal jellies of medicines, unless anything is advised by the physician, which may cover the cell abnormalities of cervix.
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