2007-05-20 23:38:45 · 5 answers · asked by jazzy 2 in Health ➔ Women's Health
They don't take any skin. The swab is used to take a scraping of cells which are being sloughed off the cervix in the normal course of things. The cervix sloughs off cells the same way your skin does, and that's what the sample depends on. They will be smeared on a slide, chemically fixed and stained, then checked under the microscope for cellular abnormalities. The cervix has no feeling, so you will feel only the slightest pressure when the scrap/swabbing is done. The pap smear takes it's name from Dr. George Papinicoulau, the doctor who first discovered it was possible to detect cervical cancers in this way.
2007-05-20 23:49:54 · answer #1 · answered by The mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They take a special brush that goes inside the small opening of the cervix (this organ is higher up inside your body) to take some cells. These cells then get put on a slide that then gets sent off to a lab for analysis to make sure that the cells are of normal shape and size.
The results will come back in about 2 weeks. Some spotting for about a day after the procedure is normal because of the irritation caused by the brush that is used to take the cells. If the spotting continues past 2 or 3 days then please get in touch with your dr.
The reason this test is done is to screen for cervical cancer.
2007-05-20 23:44:57 · answer #2 · answered by sokokl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A swab is taken. I am male, so I don't pretend to know how it feels, but the girlfriend describes a 'violated' feeling, but no pain.
Specifically, the doctor or NP uses a speculum to open the vagina, and swabs the cervix. 'Pap' in this case refers to the human papiloma virus, or HPV, the primary cause of cervical cancer. It is also known as genital warts.
2007-05-20 23:44:14 · answer #3 · answered by andrew m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a very small amount of tissue,its similar to using a nail file on your nails briefly, instead it will be like a tiny pipe cleaner and they will scrape a bit of tissue out of your cervix, I know it sounds bad, it shouldn't really hurt, good luck
2007-05-20 23:42:07 · answer #4 · answered by KrIs 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they scrape a little of the surface cells with a swab/brush
2007-05-21 00:44:46 · answer #5 · answered by Daniel F 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋