Pap smear test is conducted on a woman to find out whether she is suffering from cancer of cervix or not. Pap smear test is the best available way to detect any signs of cancer elements or tumors which can be cancerous in future. Women are susceptible to cervical cancer and if it is being diagnosed early then treatment is possible.
According to the findings about 3 to 4 millions of women have abnormal Pap smear test in US alone and you can imagine the fate of other developed and developing countries.

Pap smear test is a painless test which hardly takes 20 minutes where your doctor will take out samples of cells of the cervix and are then sent to laboratory for a detailed study.

All young women after the age of 21 should undergo this test after every two years and for women who are above 30 years of age should take this test every three years. Pap smear test can also be done on pregnant women as it is safe procedure. Women who are having menopause and also those women who have got their uterus being removed should undergo this test every year without fail.

Things to be followed before undergoing the Pap smear test:

Before undergoing the test it is essential that a woman avoids sexual activity 2 days before the test is done.
She should avoid douche or any vaginal creams before Pap smear test.
Pap smear test should not be taken during menstruation.

How Pap smear test is being conducted?

A gynecologist does a Pap smear test by examining the pelvic. She uses a speculum to make the opening of vagina wider to examine the cervix. Then a cotton swab is used to take out the cells from the cervix and they are placed on a solution and sent to laboratory for further examination.
If the result is normal then it signifies that there are no cancerous cells however if the tests are abnormal then they are being done again as many times due to certain infections the test results are abnormal.

Women who can have an abnormal pap smear results:

• Smoking is one of the major causes of cervical cancer in women as it leads to cancerous cells in cervix.
• Many women have a weak immune system which can be caused due to medications and hence it can lead to formation of cancerous cells in cervix.
• The main risk is among those women who are infected with the genital wart virus also known as HPV.
• Women who are having more than one partner can have abnormal pap smear test results.

Precaution is always better than cure. Go for a regular Pap smear test as advised by your doctor and lead a healthy life.