2007-01-28 13:31:14 · 5 answers · asked by Mom of One in Wisconsin 6 in Health ➔ Women's Health
I know what it is, as I have had many. I've just never asked my OB/GYN what it stands for.
2007-01-28 13:51:48 · update #1
The Pap test or smear is named after its developer, Dr. George N. Papanicolaou. You can read more about the pap here
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/pap_test.jsp
2007-01-28 13:37:51 · answer #1 · answered by Nurse Annie 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
The Pap smear is named after Dr. George Papanicolaou... the doctor who discovered that you could screen for abnormal cells in the cervix and thereby prevent many cases of cervical cancers. It was named after him. I promise... you can look it up.
2007-01-28 13:38:57 · answer #2 · answered by purple stars13 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Pap is short for the last name of the man who developed the test that checks for cervical cancer. His last name is Papanikolaou, so they took the first three letters and named the test PAP. They also named the virus that causes cervical cancer Papilloma in honor of this man
2007-01-28 13:37:34 · answer #3 · answered by . 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Pap smear - pap
a smear of vaginal or cervical cells obtained for cytological study. Syn: Papanicolaou smear.
2007-01-28 13:47:40 · answer #4 · answered by Jay Jay 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Papilloma-it screens for HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus (the virus that can cause cervical cancer)
2007-01-28 13:37:02 · answer #5 · answered by ambr123 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋