Ladies only please: I have to get a pap smear, what does that involve?

Question

I don't want to have one done... but I know I'm being a total baby about it... so if I know what it involves, and I know what to expect when I go, then I won't be as nervous about going to get it done. (Serious answers only please- or I'll delete the question)

Answer 1

It is scarey your first time so don't feel like the only one who feels the way you do. And it is not near as bad as your mind is making you believe. i promise. It is a little uncomfortable and if your shy it can be embarassing, but a good doctor will help alleviate alot of that. You will have to get undressed, put on that stupid "show your hiney" gown, and climb up on the doctors table - just like at a regular doc's visit. Then the Dr. will come in, have you scoot to the end of the table and put your feet in stirrups. It feels awkward, but it's not horrendous. Then they will examine you. With their fingers and the speculum. It will probably take 10-20 minutes for the full exam. Depends on the doctor and how uncomfortable you are. You will feel some pressure during teh exam, and possibly a little pain, but not enough that you would jump off the table. it's mostly an awkward/uncomfortable feeling rather than pain.
The best thing you can do is try very hard to relax. Think of something else. Try to remember the lyrics to songs in your head, think of your grocery list etc etc etc. The more you can pull your mind away from the exam ...because the more you will relax then and the faster it will go.
Treat your self to an ice cream (lol or a drink) after the exam. And i know it is easier said than done... but try to not think about it so much. The more you think the more nervous you will be.
Good luck. :)

Answer 2

You fill out a detailed questionarre about your history, including pregnancies and STDs.
Then you get undressed in the exam room. They give you this little useless gown that is open at the front, only goes down to your hips, and is made of paper. You also get a sheet to cover the bottom half.
The doctor will do a complete physical, listening to your heart, lungs and abdomen, feeling for swellings/lumps in your neck. She may test your reflexes. She will examine your breasts.
Then, the fun part. You put your feet up in these little stirrups with your legs spread. The doctor will insert a speculum into your vagina to hold it opened. She will then take a small wooden or plastic stick and insert it into the vagina. It goes all the way to the cervix where she will gently scrape to collect any loose cells from its surface. Some women feel a little cramping with this. The doctor will then remove the stick and speculum and put the sample of cells on a glass slide to be examined in a lab.
She usually does a pelvic exam, inserting 2 fingers into your vagina, then using her other hand to press your belly. She will be able to feel your uterus and ovaries doing this. It feels a little weird.
And that's it. You should get a phone call in a couple of weeks with your results.

Answer 3

It doesn't really hurt...it's just more uncomfortable than anything else. They will ask you to undress completely (with the exception of your shoes/socks. First they will do a breast exam to check for any suspicious lumps...then they will do the vaginal exam which only takes a couple of minutes. They use an instrument to scrape inside of you to check for any abnormalies and then you get your results back in just a few days. If there is any type of unusual discharge, odor or bleeding they will test you for STD's also. This test is just another quick scrape and only takes a sec...your results for this test also come back in just a few days.
While it's true that pap smears aren't anything anyone would look forward to, it is necessary and will keep you healthy. Try not to be nervous. You'll feel 100% better once it's over and you know you're healthy.

Answer 4

Your doctor can do a Pap test during a pelvic exam. It is a simple and quick test. While you lie on an exam table, the doctor puts an instrument called a speculum into your vagina, opening it to see the cervix. She will then use a special stick or brush to take a few cells from inside and around the cervix. The cells are placed on a glass slide and sent to a lab for examination. While usually painless, a Pap test is uncomfortable for some women.

Answer 5

Don't worry about being a baby about it. We've all been there and remember our fears. No worries.

You'll be asked to remove all your clothing and put on a gown or sheet. You'll lie flat on a table and be asked to scooch (technical term there, LOL) your rear end down to the end of the table. Your feet will be in stirrups, but they aren't tied down or anything. The doctor will insert a speculum, a medical instrument, into your vagina. It will open up your vagina so they can examine and scrape a little of the lining. The scraping isn't painful, just uncomfortable. Think of cop shows when they swab the inside of the person's mouth. The speculum isn't comfortable, but it's over in literally 30 seconds or less. And they don't open you up too wide.

Deep breaths and you'll be amazed at how fast it will go.

Kudos for getting it done!

Answer 6

The main thing is that it does not hurt. The doctor is usually very gentle and, if you have a younger doctor, will use the comfortable plastic speculums. I have an old doctor who has a great reputation all over my city, but he uses those metal speculums. The pap smear does not hurt. You lay on the table, open up, he/she takes a few swabs with what looks like a giant q tip, and you're done. It only takes a few minutes.

Answer 7

It is a physical exam of the vagina and cervix. You will have to undress from the waist down, lay on the exam table and put your feet in sturrups. The doctor will insert a speculum, (it's sort of a duck-billed shaped instrument) which can be uncomfortable. This opens up the vaginal walls, so that the cervix can be seen. Then using a long q-tip swab, he/she will swab the cervix and this swab will be tested for cervical cancer or any other cervical disorders. It's pretty routine, and doesn't take very long. It can be uncomfrotable, but the more relaxed you are the easier it will be. Explain to your doctor your concerns and don't be afraid to tell him/her if you are feeling any pain, or if you are nervous. As trained professionals they will know how to help you.

Answer 8

A pap smear is just them opening your legs and sticking a big Q-tip in it's really not that bad. It doesn't hurt it just feels like someone swiping that q-tip.It taks less than 30 seconds and it's over.You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. A paper cut is worse. You'll laugh at yourself when it's over. Good luck I know what it's like when you put something in your head and can't get rid of that thought. I'm having my first child in sept- now that i am worried about hurting lol. P.S. I'd be scared too if i read half of these answers-they are too technical and it only takes a few seconds

Answer 9

Getting a pap smear is part of a routine pelvic exam. If you've never had a pelvic exam before you should tell your obgyn to explain it to you. It isn't painful or terrible - you are basically up on a table, under a hospital gown/paper gown and your doctor will instruct you to place your feet in stirrups while the pelvic exam/pap smear is conducted. If you are nervous talk to the nurse or doctor and they will talk you through everything that will go on.

Answer 10

You will go into the doctor's office, put on a robe and put a sheet over your legs while sitting on the table. The gyno will come in, ask you to lay back, put your feet in the stirrups. You will not be able to see what he/she is doing. They will feel inside to make sure everything is normal. Then, they will insert a metal tool (nothing to be scared of), it will be cold and take a large cotton swab and take a quick swipe of fluid. That's it, unless they see something abnormal. Don't be afraid, it's just more of an uncomfortable situation than painful.