I am going to my first pap smear.. what should I expect, and what types of things are they looking for?

Question

ALSO, will they tell me if I have a yeast infection or anything liek that???

Answer 1

A Pap smear is a test your doctor does to check for signs of cancer of the cervix. The cervix is part of your uterus (womb). During a Pap smear, your doctor takes a sample of cells from your cervix to be tested.

To take the sample, your doctor will put a special instrument called a speculum into your . This helps open your so the sample can be taken. Your doctor will gently clean your cervix with a cotton swab and then collect a sample of cells with a small brush, a tiny spatula or a cotton swab. This sample is put on a glass slide and sent to a lab to be checked.

What is the sample checked for? 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.

Answer 2

This will be taken as part of your normal pelvic exam. And you need to have regular pelvic exams and pap smears, as they can save your life.

This link will give you the information you're looking for, and will say it much better than anyone here can. That's not a knock on anyone here, it's just that the article was written deliberately to answer such questions (the second link), and the answers given in the first link are also given by professionals and again are well thought out.

A pap smear can't indicate anything except the health of your cervix, but as part of the pelvic esam, yes,your doctor could well see any number of infections, if they are present. In that case, your doctor will swab that infection, as well as take a pap smear.

This exam really just takes a few minutes, and there will be a nurse there at all times, to protect all of you.

Answer 3

I was scared to have my first pap smear, but it was over so fast it wasn't bad at all. When the doctor inserts the speculum into your vagina you will feel pressure, and it may be slightly uncomfortable. However, remember to relax and it wont be as bad. The doctor will take a couple swabs and then you're done with that part! Next he/she will insert a couple fingers into your vagina and press down on your lower abdomen to feel your ovaries and uterus. Last the doctor will do a quick breast exam.

It's okay to be nervous, but just remember that it will be over in less than 10 minutes, and it's just not that bad!

Answer 4

Firstly, i wanna say that's a good job. by doing pap smear regulary, it shows that u care to ure body.
when u doing pap smear, doctor will take liquid samples from inside ure vagina and he will check it to the lab what's in it. is it clean, is it have abnormal bactery, or if there's something u need to recheck again.

second, u are allowed to ask any question that comes into ure mind. like me, i always asked if there's a white discharge inside my vagina, or how the conditoin of my vagina, or is there any not normal view inside it??

my doctor sometimes 'clean' my vagina if needed with some medicine...

just in case, since it's ure first, always make sure that ure doctor wears gloves, and relaxs (if possible ask someone to accompany u cuz it might uncomfortable), and again...ask as many question as u can....load ureself with all information u can get about ure vagina and about pap smear.

hope that helps...