A Pap smear is used to screen for cervical cancer by finding changes in the cells of the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer.
How often you should be screened for your cervix depends on your age and medical history and is usually done with your annual exam. The HPV test may or may not be recommended as well.
To schedule your Pap test, contact the team of experts at Emory Women Clinic in the city of Querétaro. Call or use the online scheduling tool to make an appointment.
Questions and Answers About Pap Smears.
How is a Pap test done?
Cervical cancer screening includes the Pap test and, for some women, an HPV test. Both tests use cells taken from the cervix. The selection process is simple and fast. You lie on an exam table and a speculum is used to open the vagina. The speculum offers a clear view of the cervix and upper part of the vagina. Cells are removed from the cervix with a brush or other sampling instrument. This test is not painful. The cells are usually placed in a special liquid and sent to a laboratory for analysis: For a Pap test, the sample is examined for abnormal cells. For an HPV test, the sample is tested for the presence of 13 to 14 of the most common high-risk HPV types.
Why do I need a Pap test?
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease. There are more than 100 different strains of HPV and most do not pose a significant health threat as your body generally clears the infection on its own. However, there are some strains that can cause genital warts and worse, cervical cancer, unless preventive measures are taken. With a Pap smear, your doctor can monitor any cell changes on your cervix and intervene quickly if these cells become precancerous. In fact, the elimination of precancerous cells prevents cervical cancer by up to 95%.
What if my results are abnormal?
Abnormal results on your Pap test are not necessarily cause for alarm. Again, HPV is very common and all sexually active men and women will get HPV at some point in their lives. If your results are abnormal, your Emory Women Clinic gynecologist can wait until the next test before making any decisions, which you can schedule earlier than normal, sometimes within three to six months of your first abnormal test. If your Pap test results continue to indicate abnormal cells, your doctor may take a closer look using a colposcopy, which is a procedure in which he examines your cervix with specialized equipment and takes a tissue sample for biopsy.
To schedule your Pap test, call the EmoryWomen Clinic at 4421959896 or make an appointment using the online booking feature.
We offer you the most innovative experience with InstaPAP, a new medical instrument that detects the presence of abnormal cells in the cervix. Unlike the Pap test, InstaPAP® does not require a tissue sample and provides the result immediately.
A difficult time in a woman's life is when the gynecologist calls you and tells you that the result of your vaginal or Pap smear is abnormal.
Although you may think that an abnormal result in your vaginal cytology means cervical cancer, the real statistical fact is that most abnormal cytologies or Pap smears are not caused by cancer.
Because vaginal cytology is a method of detecting potential problems, the gynecologist will need to closely examine your cervix, under a microscope (colposcope), to determine if there are precancerous, cancerous changes, Human Papillomavirus infection or another infection that It can be treated.
REASONS TO MAKE A COLPOSCOPY
Colposcopy is performed when the cervical cancer screening test reveals abnormal abnormalities in the cells of the cervix.
Colposcopy provides more information about the status of abnormal cells.