Why Regular Pap Smears Are A Vital Part Of Women's Health Screenings
Pap smears are one of the most important health screenings for women because they allow your gynecologist to detect and treat abnormal cell growth in your cervix. Women should receive pap smears at least once a year, and they should preferably be taken when you are not menstruating and have abstained from sexual activity for five to six days in order to reduce false positives. Here's why regular pap smears are such an important part of women's health screenings and why you should have them performed by a gynecologist like Holzhauer, James L.
Quick and Painless Procedure
A pap smear is performed by taking a sample of cells from your cervix using a spatula. The spatula is then preserved in a liquid solution and sent to a professional cytologist to analyze for the presence of abnormal cells. While the procedure requires the use of a speculum to widen your vaginal canal and may be slightly uncomfortable, it causes no serious pain and can be performed in a few minutes at your gynecologist's office. This allows you to easily make this procedure part of your overall preventive care.
Prevents Cervical Dysplasia From Progressing
One of the largest misconceptions surrounding pap smears is that they are used to diagnose cervical cancer. If your routine pap smear comes back positive for cervical dysplasia, it does not mean that you have cervical cancer. A positive result from a pap smear means that abnormal cells were detected in your cervix, which is a condition called cervical dysplasia. This can be caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), tobacco use, or having multiple sexual partners. In some cases, abnormal cells in your cervix can lead to cervical cancer, which is why early detection and treatment of abnormal precancerous cells is important for women.
When you have an abnormal pap smear, your gynecologist will perform an HPV screening to determine if the abnormal cells are a result of HPV. Your gynecologist may also remove abnormal cells from your cervix using cryotherapy or manual scraping, aided with a high-powered microscope to find and eliminate abnormal cells. By removing the majority of abnormal cells, they're prevented from reproducing and causing complications. Your gynecologist will schedule a followup pap smear within four to six months to ensure that the removal of abnormal cells was effective.
No Out-of-Pocket Cost for Preventive Screenings if You're Insured
Under the Affordable Care Act, pap smears are considered a preventive screening. As long as you are insured, you won't pay any out-of-pocket costs for the procedure. This is a reflection of how important pap smears are for women — by having the procedure done often, you prevent abnormal cells in your cervix from causing more severe (and more expensive) medical issues later down the line.
If you are not receiving regular pap smears, contact a gynecologist to set up an appointment. Pap smears help to reduce the risk of cervical cancer by allowing a gynecologist to treat abnormal cell development as soon as it occurs.