Pap Smear detects cervical cancer

What is a Pap smear test?

A Pap smear test is a simple test that can help prevent cancer of the cervix. During a Pap smear test, a sample of cells from your cervix will be taken and sent for examination to look for any abnormal cell changes that may, if left untreated, develop into cancer.

Who perform the Pap smear test?

The Pap smear test is performed by a doctor or a specially-trained nurse.

How is a Pap smear test done?

A Pap smear test is simple, quick, and painless. While a woman lies on an examination bed, the doctor or nurse inserts a special instrument called a speculum into her vagina. This helps to open up the vagina and allows the doctor or nurse to see the cervix. A sample of cells from the cervix is then taken with a plastic or wooden spatula, or with a cervical broom. This sample is then put on a glass slide and sent to a laboratory to be checked.

This test only takes a few minutes. It is very important to stay relaxed during the test to help make it more comfortable for yourself.

What is the sample checked for?

The sample is checked to look for cervical cells that are changing from normal. These abnormal cells may go through a slow series of changes and may take 10 to 20 years before they develop into full-blown cancer. Detecting these changes early will mean early treatment, and will prevent the development of cervical cancer later on. This is why getting your Pap smear regularly is so important.

When should I begin having Pap smears?

You should have your first Pap smear at the age of 20, if you are already sexually active by then.

How often should I have a Pap, smear?

You should have a Pap smear every three years, provided your previous smears stay normal. You may be asked to have more frequent Pap smears depending on your smear results. You should continue to have regular pap smears up until the age of 65. After this, you are no longer required to have any more pap smears provided that you have had three normal smears in the preceding 10 years.

How do I prepare for a Pap smear test?

Good preparation helps to ensure good smear quality and makes Pap smear result more accurate. It may save you from having to come back for the smear to be repeated!
In the 48 hours before the test:

- Avoid douching or using a feminine deodorant;
- Avoid using any birth spacing creams or jellies or vaginal pessaries
- Avoid having sex

Plan to have your Pap smear test done at a time when you are not having your menstrual period. The ideal time to have the Pap smear test is between 10 to 14 days after your first day of menses.

What do the Pap smear results mean?

Results can be reported in different ways:

A negative Pap smear is one that is reported as satisfactory and shows normal cells.

A positive Pap smear means that your results are not normal but does not always mean you have cancer.
Some Pap smears are not satisfactory or have abnormal cells or have signs of infections and have to be repeated.

The medical name for abnormal cervical cell changes is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). If these abnormal :barges are detected on your Pap smear test, they will be graded as mild (CIN 1), moderate (CIN 2), or severe (CIN 3.) CIN 1 usually requires no treatment as it most often subsides on its own. CIN 2 and CIN 3 are more serious and require further evaluation and treatment. CIN is not cancer, but if left untreated can go on to develop into cancer.

How reliable is the test?

As with all screening tests, the Pap smear test is not 100% accurate. Regular screening can stop up to 75 per cent of cancers developing, but it does not prevent every case.

What happens if I have a positive Pap smear?

If the results of your Pap smear are positive, your doctor may want to do another Pap smear test or may want you to have a colposcopy.

What is colposcopy?

Colposcopy is a detailed examination of the cervix, using an instrument called a colposcope, which allows the doctor to look more closely at cell changes on the cervix that were first identified by the pap smear test. It allows your doctor to take samples of tissues from the cervix (biopsies) and send them for further examination.

If the results ofthe tests show that you have some changes on your cervix that could lead to cancer, your doctor may recommend appropriate treatment.

What puts me at risk of cervical cancer?

The main risk factors for cervical cancer are related to infections that can be passed by having sex. These sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may affect your cells in a way that makes them more likely to undergo changes that can lead to cancer.

The most important sexually-transmitted risk factor is infection with Human Papilloma virus (HPV). Around 95% of all cases of cervical cancer are linked with HPV.

Other risk factors include smoking, a weakened immune system and using birth-spacing pills for more than 10 years.

What is HPV?

HPV is very common. There are many types of HPV. Certain types cause warts on the hands or feet; others cause wart-like growths on the cervix and the genitals. These latter types of HPV are sexually-transmitted and are called genital HPV. Many women who have positive Pap smears have genital HPV.

Is there anything I can do to avoid getting cervical cancer?

You may be able to reduce your risk of cervical cancer by:
Not starting to have sex-early (before the age of 20)

- Not having many sexual partners
- Not having a partner who has had many sex partners
- Not smoking
- Not using the birth-spacing pills for more than 10
years.

Where can I go to get the Pap smear test?

You can make an appointment to have the Pap smear test at your nearest Outpatient or Well-Woman clinics.

(Ministry of Health Public Awareness Programme)

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