Q: how long does a pap smear take?

<3 minutes: A pap smear is a gynecologic test used to screen women for cervical cancer. A doctor will visualize the cervix by inserting a speculum into the vagina, then will use a little brush to take a sampling of cells from in/around the cervix. The entire procedure only takes a couple of minutes. Results can sometimes take several weeks, however.

Q: should a virgin get a pap smear?

Depends on her age: Current guidelines recommend that women get their first pap at the age of 21, even if they are sexually active prior to that. Exceptions (where it should be obtained before 21) are if the female is HIV positive, or on chronic immunosuppressive therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (sle, lupus) or after organ transplantation.

Question 1

what is a pap smear?

Accepted Answer

Screen for cancer: Named for its discoverer george papanicolaou, cells from the cervix of the uterus are smeared onto a glass slide, stained, and examined under the microscope for cancer or precancer ("dysplasia"; "intraepithelial lesion").  This enables detection of the vast majority of cervical cancers -- once the greatest cancer killer of young women -- while still easy to cure.

Question 2

does a pap smear hurt?

Accepted Answer

No: A good pelvic examiner can perform a pap smear with little or no discomfort.

Question 3

how does a pap smear work?

Accepted Answer

Cancer screening: A speculum is used to dilate the vagina to visualise the cervix (bottom part of the uterus) and the a wooden spatula or a rubber brush is inserted into the vagina and rotated against the cervix to capture some of the cells. The specimen is the fixed onto a glass slide or placed into a preservative medium and sent to the lab to be analysed for any cellular abnormalities or infections.

Question 4

how important is pap smear?

Accepted Answer

Could be very.: The pap smear is a way to find cervical cancer before it becomes serious. Cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease and young women are at highest risk of the disease.  If you have had abnormal paps, infection with the hpv virus or multiple sex partners you may be at risk for cervical cancer and should have discussion about appropriate screening with your doctor.

Question 5

what can pap smear pick up?

Accepted Answer

Pap Smears: Pap smears are designed to look for skin changes that could or would predict risk for developing cervical cancer.  They now can also test for the hybrid hpv dna test that can tell if in the skin there is any of the hpv dna that could cause cancer. They also can add a test to look for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Question 6

what can pap smear help you?

Accepted Answer

No: A pap smear is used to look for precancerous cells of the cervix before they become a problem. Your first pregnancy visit may be a good time to get one if you need it.

Question 7

how often is pap smear needed?

Accepted Answer

Depends on patient.: For a woman between the ages of 30 and 65, if a baseline pap test is negative and the patient also has a negative hpv dna result (dual negative findings), then the next pap test can wait for 3 years.  Hope that this helps.

Question 8

will a pap smear make me loose?

Accepted Answer

Will make a woman...: A routine pap smear will make a woman less likely to get cervical disease such as cervical cancer. A pap smear will not make her loose, tight, nor anything else in that manner.

Question 9

how long does a pap smear take?

Accepted Answer

<3 minutes: A pap smear is a gynecologic test used to screen women for cervical cancer. A doctor will visualize the cervix by inserting a speculum into the vagina, then will use a little brush to take a sampling of cells from in/around the cervix. The entire procedure only takes a couple of minutes. Results can sometimes take several weeks, however.

Question 10

should a virgin get a pap smear?

Accepted Answer

Depends on her age: Current guidelines recommend that women get their first pap at the age of 21, even if they are sexually active prior to that. Exceptions (where it should be obtained before 21) are if the female is HIV positive, or on chronic immunosuppressive therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (sle, lupus) or after organ transplantation.

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