What is Pap Smear Test – Its Procedure
September 1, 2010 by admin
Filed under General Health
Pap smear test is also known as Papanicolau test. This test is done to detect cancer in your ectocervix. Severe Cervical cancer can be successfully detected with this method. This test was invented by a renowned doctor Georgios Papanikolau from Greece. A device is used to collect cells from the outer surface of the cervix. This test can detect pre cancerous changes that are normally caused by the sexual transmission.
This test is recommended for those females who have regular sex. The test can be done yearly or every 5 years. This test can be repeated in a year if you observe any abnormalities. Coloscopy is an important test if you need further examination.
Pap smear screening: Screening can be started at the age of twenty or twenty-five and can continue until the age of 60. This screening is useless for women who have never experienced sex. Women should need the first screening after 3 years after their very first intercourse. However, cervical cancer takes time to grow so do not worry about delaying of the test.
Pap smear procedure: During the menstruation period, this test is rarely done because doctors use liquid- based tests so when bleeding is too much, your cell-count is not readable. This process does not cause pain in some cases while in other, it can be painful; it depends on the condition of a patient. The process can be done in many steps such as the automated analysis, human papillomavirus testing, liquid based monolayer cytology, and conventional cytology.
Benefits of the Pap Smear Test: since the test has been introduced, the death rate has seriously reduced. The best deal is to go for this test as soon as notice the symptoms of this type of cancer.
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