why do women have to get a papsmear done?

Question

I'm just wondering why is it that women have to get a papsmear done?

Answer 1

It's a part of a well-being checkup. Complicated things happen to the woman's body as she gets older and it's crucial to make sure things are in working order.

Answer 2

As usual lots of misinformation out there. A Pap smear is intended to test the cervical cells that are collected for evidence of precancerous changes or cancer. It is a screening test and not a diagnostic tool. So is abnormalities come up on the Pap then further testing or repeat testing after a certain length of time is appropriate. Sometimes when the lab tests the Pap it incidentally finds other infections, even though this is not the intention or the best way of finding them. These are then appropriately treated and a repeat Pap is done. Also I have found that alot of women call every gyne exam a "Pap test" and it is not that . If you go to your doctor with a complaint of discharge for example and they have you in stirrups and do an exam and swabs, that doesn't mean you have had a pap smear done, actually if there is a known infection then that is not the correct time to do a Pap. Swabs from the vagina/cercix can be used to detect Gonorrhea, clamydia, yeast, trichomonas, Bacterial vaginosis, viral infections. But these are not Pap smears. HPV, the virus responsible for cervical cancer is done on another test, albeit often at the same time as a Pap is done, but it is a separate test.

Answer 3

The Pap smear is a simple screening test that can find early changes (abnormalities) in cells, before they develop into cancer. Deaths from cervical cancer have steadily decreased in Australia since the introduction of the National Cervical Screening Program in 1991. In women who die of cervical cancer, about 90 per cent have not had regular Pap smears and more than half have never had a Pap smear at all. The Pap test is currently the best protection against cervical cancer for women who have ever had sex.

Most women should have regular Pap tests
All women between the ages of 18 to 69 years who have ever had sex are advised to have a Pap smear every two years. The most common type of cervical cancer usually takes 10 years to develop, so having a Pap smear every two years is usually enough.

Risk factors for developing cervical cancer include the presence of some types of the human papilloma virus (HPV) on the cervix, and smoking. The early stages of cervical cancer often have no symptoms. The only way to know if you have abnormal cells in your cervix is to have a Pap test.

Women who have had the cervical cancer vaccine still need to have regular two yearly Pap tests, as the vaccine does not protect against all HPV types or those to which a woman may have already been exposed when vaccinated. Lesbians also need regular Pap tests.

A simple and quick procedure
Named after its inventor Dr George Papanicolau, the Pap smear is a simple and quick procedure that can be done by a doctor or nurse.

During the test, an instrument called a speculum is gently inserted into the vagina to hold the walls of the vagina apart. This allows the cervix (the neck of the womb) to be clearly seen. A small wooden spatula (stick) or a tiny brush is then inserted to collect cells from the cervix. These cells are smeared onto a glass slide, which is sent to a laboratory for analysis. The results are usually available within a week. You should arrange to receive the results from your doctor or nurse, in person, by phone or mail.

Women’s experiences of Pap smears differ. Many women describe the procedure as quick, simple, necessary and important; however, some women find it uncomfortable, cold, embarrassing and unpleasant. If a Pap smear hurts, tell the doctor or nurse straight away.

Different types of Pap smears
Different technologies for collecting and screening cervical cells are now available. Some doctors offer the use of a special scope for collecting the Pap smear and use a flow of air to inflate the vagina. New technology has also enabled different laboratory tests, known as ThinPrep and PAPNET, to be used for double checking and re-screening. Human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA testing for the presence of the ‘wart virus’ is available.

These technologies are not used as part of routine screening. You can discuss the availability, costs, advantages and disadvantages of these tests with your doctor or nurse.

Abnormal results do not always mean cancer
If the results of your Pap test show an abnormality, don’t panic. An abnormal Pap result doesn’t mean you have cancer. Often the cell changes are minor and do not require treatment. Some changes are more significant and may develop into cervical cancer if left, but early detection generally means the changes are easy to treat.

While the Pap smear test is not perfect, it is about 90 per cent accurate in the early detection of changes to the cells of the cervix.

Answer 4

A Pap smear is a test your doctor does to check for signs of cancer of the cervix. The cells on the slide are checked for signs that they're changing from normal. Cells go through a series of changes before they turn into cancer. A Pap smear can show if your cells are going through these changes long before you have cancer. Cervical cancer is not life-threatening if it's caught early. This is why getting regular Pap smears is so important. You should have your first Pap smear when you start having sex or by age 18.

Continue having a Pap smear once a year until you've had at least 3 normal ones. After this, you should have a Pap smear at least every 3 years, unless your doctor thinks you need them more often. Keep having Pap smears throughout your life, even after you've gone through menopause.

Answer 5

Pap smear is a screening test for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that have a definite precancer stage and these precancer stage can be easily identified by scraping cells of the cervix and examining them (pap smear process). Note also that it takes a long time for these precancer stage to progress to become cancerous. Hence it gives us an opportunity to detect precancer stage and treat the patient. The test is done at some interval (some may be yearly). This gives a greater opportunity to detect any precancer stage, one that we may have missed during the last test (may be due to faulty technique, processing, and evaluating smear...). An article state that pap smear reduces a women's chance of dying of cervical cancer by 90%. Who should go for pap smear: sexually active women, those with multiple partners are at more risk, early age of first sex, have the virus HPV

Answer 6

First of all women don't have to get a pap smear. However it is certainly an excellent ideal to maintain and promote ones health. The pap test can pick up on several diseases, first is cancer, secondly STD's, thirdly unexpected pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, And this is just the beginning, from the physical examination, to the simple CBC (complete blood count), and lead a physician quickly to see if you have a condition that needs treatment. Thanks for the opportunity to address your question.

Answer 7

to check for any abnormailities. It can help to detect pre cancer..and canceress cells. Also a womans pap smear may be abnormal due to hpv. The human papolola virus...which is the same virus that causes genital warts, though most warts never show up.

Answer 8

A papsmear is a test for cancer.

Answer 9

To make sure that everything is ok in there. They check for abnormal things, things that can turn into cancer. Its just a good thing to have it done once a yr.

Answer 10

The papiloma virus can become cancerous and you should be tested for this very preventable disease of cervical cancer.