How to Prepare for a Pap Smear in North Hills?

A Pap Smear Test North Hills is usually performed on women to detect the presence of cancerous cells early so that they can begin treatment. It is a life-saving test often done by an ob-gyn to screen for cervical cancer. The cervix is the area of a woman's body that opens to the vagina. Your provider or ob-gyn will begin the Pap Smear test by collecting cervical cells and sending them to a laboratory for testing. The test conducted in the lab will help detect and identify if there are any cancerous cells. Precancers are cells that have the potential of turning into cancer. The doctor can quickly help prevent pre-cancer cells from developing into cervical cancer. The Pap Smear test makes it easier to treat cancer in its early stages.

Definition of Pap Smear Test?

A Pap Smear test is a medical procedure or test in which a gynaecologist collects cells from the cervix and its surrounding areas with a soft brush. The piece is then taken to the lab to undergo a series of tests under a microscope to detect whether there are any abnormal cells. Besides screening for cervical cancer, a Pap Smear Test North Hills is also used to check for other conditions, including inflammation or infections in the cervix. Gynaecologists in North Hills Urgent Care more often perform the Pap Smear test. Other names for the Pap Smear test are the Pap test or the Papanicolaou test.

Who needs a Pap Smear Test?

According to the American Cancer Society(ACS), the Pap Smear Test should be started when a woman is 25 years old or older. However, some women are more predisposed to cervical cancer or cervical infection. If you stand a higher risk of developing cervical cancer, you need to go for the Pap Smear test more frequently. Cervical cancer may be more likely to occur in you if:

• You have a weak immune system 
• You are HIV positive

If you haven't started going for the Pap Smear test and you are over 25 years, ask your gynaecologist if you can begin going for Pap Smear tests every three years. Combining the Pap Smear test with the human papillomavirus test can have these tests every five years. According to the latest guidelines, you need to go for the HPV test every five years. The human papillomavirus (HPV) produces warts and can cause cervical cancer. The HPV viruses that often cause cervical cancer are types 16 and 18. If you have HPV, you're more likely to have cervical cancer. Women who have reached 65 years and above may discontinue Pap Smear tests if they often have average Pap Smear test results. Regardless of your sexual activities, you should continue having Pap Smear tests if you have reached 25 years and above. The reason is that the HPV virus often stays dormant for years before it activates suddenly. 

See More: Primary Care Physician In North Hills Urgent Care 

How to prepare for a Pap Smear?

Once you decide to start going for the Pap Smear test, you can ask your gynaecologist to do a separate Pap Smear test or conduct it with your annual gynaecological examination. You may need to pay a copay even though health insurance providers cover most Pap Smear tests. You should not schedule a Pap Smear test when you have your menstrual period. This may lead to inaccurate results. You should also refrain from having sex, douching, or using spermicidal products when you are about to have a Pap Smear test, as they will tamper with the results. It is safe and secure to have a Pap Smear test within 24 weeks of pregnancy. Having it after this period may be painful. You also need to have it 12 weeks after delivering your baby to increase the accuracy of the results. You need to take deep breaths and relax if you want the test to go smoothly during the procedure. 

North Hills Pap Smear Procedure

The doctor who performs the Pap Smear test in North Hills Urgent Care does it inside an office or a clinic. While the patient is lying on the table, the test takes around 10 to 20 minutes. The feet are placed on stirrups, and the legs are spread to make it easier to access the cervix. A plastic tool called a speculum is placed into the patient vagina. This tool opens the wall of the vagina to make it easier for the doctor to access the cervical region by inserting a swab to collect cervical samples. The sample is then placed in a small jar filled with a liquid substance. It is then sent to the laboratory to undergo several tests. Having a Pap Smear test won't hurt; however, you may feel a little pressure or a pinch. 

North Hills Pap Smear results

You will have to wait for 1 to 3 weeks to receive the results after the procedure. In most cases, the outcomes turn out to be negative rather than positive. When the Pap Smear test results are available, they are transmitted to the doctor who performed the test. The patient is informed of the test results while the doctor explains what they mean. The Pap Smear results in North Hills can be normal (negative) or abnormal (positive). There are no aberrant cervical cells if the report is normal or negative. This indicates that there are no malignant cells forming in the cervical area. The patient will be advised not to undergo any further tests and to wait for the next standard Pap Smear test.

Normal

If the results turn out to be expected in a Pap Smear test, there are no abnormal cells in the cervix. 

Unclear

The results may sometimes turn out to be ambiguous. The doctor may have to carry out several more tests to monitor the changes in such a case. The gynaecologist in North Hills Urgent Care may recommend taking another test soon after the first results or six months later. 

Abnormal

If the Pap Smear test results turn out to be abnormal, several more tests will be done immediately after the effects or six months afterward. The extent of the cell change will determine when the next test will be. 

North Hills Pap Smear Test Cost 

The cost of having a Pap Smear test varies. However, having a Pap Smear Test North Hills is upto $600. These estimates, however, don't include the cost of a pelvic exam if both tests are done together. Patients may also not pay anything if covered by a health care insurance provider. 

Conclusion

A Pap Smear, also named a Pap test or a Papanicolaou test, is usually done on women to screen for cervical cancer. The Pap Smear test does not hurt, and it usually takes a few minutes. The test is performed to detect the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells. Contrary to what many people think, a Pap Smear Test North Hills is not meant to diagnose cancer but to detect abnormal cells in the cervix that may be cancerous or precancerous.

If you have any questions about pap smears, please do not hesitate to contact us at (818) 839-5666 or Schedule an Appointment