wellnesscenterusa.comPosted on 12/09/2007 by Karilee Bingham, R.N., B.S.
One of the easiest things we can do to prevent cancer as women is having regular Pap Smears. Now, no one LIKES going for this "special" kind of exam, the primping, the shaving, the change of socks so your feet don't smell. But.. it was within our lifetimes that cervical cancer was one of the biggest killers of women.
In 1941 over 13,000 women died in the United States from cancer of the cervix, keep in mind that the US population was just over 133 million. About 3,670 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States during 2007 and our population is more than double what it was then.
Pap smears have made it possible to detect precancerous and cancerous conditions before they have a chance to spread to other parts of the body.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend annual pap smears for women who have been having sex for three years or more, or are over the age of 21. Some women are advised to have Pap smears even after a hysterectomy.
A speculum (looks like a little set of smooth tongs) will be inserted into your vagina so that your health care provider can visualize your cervix. She will then use what looks a little "broom" to sweep some cells from your cervix and put them on a slide or in a solution. Most women feel just a little pressure, although some report a brief menstrual cramp-like feeling. You may experience some mild spotting after this test- so it's a good idea to wear a light pad that day.
At least yearly, or more often if your health care provider recommends.
This test is done right in your health care provider's office.
The best time to have a Pap smear is 10 to 20 days after the start of your last period. You shouldn't have this screening done during your menstrual flow since blood cells can obscure the reading. Do not have sex, douche, use tampons, use spermicidal foams, creams, or inserts, use vaginal creams or suppositories for 48 hours before your appointment.
Abnormal Pap smear results are often caused by an infection or an inflammation. Yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), trichomonas (trich), or use of vaginal creams, are some of the culprits for an abnormal result. If this is the case, we treat the infection and then repeat the test at a later date, often within a month or more of the original test.
The most recent research holds the human papilloma virus (genital warts or HPV) responsible for most cervical cancers. Up to 60% of sexually- active women carry this virus on their cervix, genital area, or skin and are completely unaware of it.
There is a vaccine now for HPV which offers protection for 4 types of HPV implicated in the development of cervical cancer- look to read about it soon on our site, along with the treatments for pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix!