To understand the importance of the Pap smear test (we call it a smear test for short), we need to know how it is done and what it means when it is abnormal. This will also help you understand why you should have it regularly. A smear test is a simple test that examines cells taken from the cervix. It is named after the doctor who first performed it, Dr. George Papanicolaou. It not only shows the presence of cancer cells, but also identifies cells that are likely to become cancerous in the future. This gives you the chance to destroy the cancer before it develops. About 50 years before this test was invented, deaths from cervical cancer were higher. Now these deaths are considerably lower. If you have regular smear tests, you will greatly reduce your chances of getting cervical cancer. Or even if you are caught, if you are in the early stages, your chances of cure are over 90%.
Who Should Have a Smear Test
You should have your first test at the age of 21 or three years after your first sexual intercourse. In the following years, it should be done as follows;
– Once a year between 21 and 29 years of age
– Between the ages of 30 and 69, if your tests are normal, you should have a smear test every two to three years.
– If you are over 70 years old, you may no longer have a smear test if your tests in the last 10 years have been normal or if you have had three normal tests in a row.
If you have certain risks, you should have a smear test every year, regardless of your age. The risks are the following;
– Starting sexual intercourse at an early age, especially with multiple partners
– You still have a large number of sexual partners
– Your partner started having sex at an early age and has many partners
– If you have a sexually transmitted disease
– If there is a family history of cervical cancer
– Pre-cancerous cells in a smear test
– Presence of previous infection with HPV (human papilloma virus)
– Cigarette smoking
– HIV infection (AIDS)
– Weakness in the immune system caused by organ transplantation, chemotherapy or long-term use of cortisone
If your uterus is removed and the cervix is left, you should discuss this with your doctor. If your doctor thinks it is necessary, you will continue to have a smear test.
What to do before a smear test
Pay attention to the following to get a good test result.
Do not have sexual intercourse before the test. Do not do vaginal douching, do not use any vaginal suppositories, creams or gels, as these can destroy abnormal cells. Although testing can also be done during menstruation, make sure that it does not coincide with these days.
How to do a Smear Test
This test is performed in your doctor’s office and takes only a few minutes. On the gynecological table, with the help of an instrument inserted into your vagina, sample cells are taken from the cervix and applied to a slide to be examined under a microscope. This slide is sent to pathology by your doctor and examined by a specialized pathologist. The pathologist decides the outcome of the test.
What are the Results of a Smear Test
This test does not diagnose a disease. But it can help your doctor decide whether further tests are needed. With the abnormal cells identified, your risk is determined. If abnormal results are found, a biopsy of the cervix is taken with a special tool called colposcopy to make a definitive diagnosis. There may also be cases where the test gives a false negative result. In other words, your test may be normal even though you have abnormal cells. But this is around 5%.
False positives, i.e. abnormal cells appearing in the test when you do not have any abnormal cells, are much rarer. False negatives can be caused by not enough cells being taken, too few abnormal cells, a small lesion, blood or other cells covering the abnormal cells. However, failure to detect abnormal cells does not cost you time. Because cervical cancer takes years to develop and even if it is not detected in one test, it is likely to be detected in the next test.