Pap Smear guide

Last updated: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Print

	A pap smear is performed as part of a gynaecological exam. It can be done in a doctor's office, clinic or hospital. You will be asked to undress a gown will be given for you to wear.
	You will then lie on a table and place your feet in stirrups to position the pelvis for examination.
	A doctor or nurse will then gently open your vagina.
	A speculum is used to open the walls of the vaginal canal to see the interior.
	The speculum remains in the vagina to keep it slightly open during the procedure.
	A sample of cells from the outside and the canal of the cervix will then be taken.
	A small brush that looks like a pipe cleaner is inserted into the canal to take a sample of cells.
	The outside of the cervix is gently scraped with a wooden or plastic spatula.
	The cells are then placed on a glass slide and sprayed with a fixative and then sent to a laboratory for testing.
	In the lab a pathologist exams the sample under a microscope. By doing this he/she is able to see if there are abnormal cells, cancer and infection in the sample.
	The results are then sent back to your doctor or the clinic and you will be called in to discuss your results. If your result is abnormal you will have to make a follow up appointment with your doctor. More tests will be taken to determine what the abnormalities are and what treatment will be needed.