Contents:
- Medical Video: Pap and HPV Testing | Nucleus Health
- Is the pap smear examination painful or not?
- To be comfortable, what should be done during a pap smear test?
- If the pap smear results are positive, does that mean I have cervical cancer?
Medical Video: Pap and HPV Testing | Nucleus Health
Not a few women who delay or even refuse pap smears for fear of illness. In fact, this pap smear is important to detect cells suspected of being the seeds of cervical cancer. So, is it true that pap smears will cause pain in the vagina? Find out the facts through the following review.
Is the pap smear examination painful or not?
A woman who is 21 years old or has been sexually active is recommended to do a pap smear. A Pap smear is a medical procedure that is performed to determine whether there is a problem with the cervix or cervix of a woman that leads to cervical cancer.
Basically, Pap smear procedures tend to be simple, fast, and painless. It's just that you may feel a bit uncomfortable or cramp your stomach for a moment or after an examination.
The pap smear test is done by inserting a device called a speculum into the vagina. This tool serves to dilate the vagina so that the doctor can see the cervix.
After the vagina is open, the doctor will take a sample of your cervical cells with a device called a spatula. Well, all these processes make women tend to feel uncomfortable when doing pap smears. Why is that?
The vagina is surrounded by muscles that can contract or relax, depending on your condition at that time. A pap smear test will usually cause discomfort and even pain when you feel nervous or frightened, which often occurs when the examination takes place.
When you are nervous, the vaginal muscles will usually tighten and stiffen. This can make it difficult for doctors to see your cervix. As a result, you feel increasingly uncomfortable and slow down the inspection process.
Conversely, the vaginal muscles can be more relaxed if you are more calm. The speculum will more easily enter the vagina and the process will be more quickly completed.
To be comfortable, what should be done during a pap smear test?
There are several ways you can reduce the sensation of discomfort during a pap smear. The most important way is to understand the pap smear procedure itself.
If you already know what the pap smear process is, then you tend to be more relaxed and not surprised. Pap smears will also be easier to insert and cause no pain.
Conversely, the more you think of the pap smear process, you will be afraid of the process because you do not know the stages. Well, of course this will make the pelvic floor stiffen and discomfort and even pain arise.
So, don't hesitate to ask a doctor before a pap smear examination starts, whether it's about the stages of the procedure to the possible side effects.
In order for the pap smear test to run smoothly, adjust your breath as calmly as possible to relax the vaginal muscles. You can also chat with your doctor or nurse to distract you. The more calm you are in living it, you may not realize that this examination has been completed without causing pain.
If the pap smear results are positive, does that mean I have cervical cancer?
After completing the examination, you will not immediately know the results are positive or negative. Pap smear results are usually only known after one to three weeks later.
If the results are negative, this means your cervix or cervix is healthy and normal. However, what if the results are positive? Does this mean you have cervical cancer?
Reporting from Verywell, the results of a positive pap smear test does not mean you are then convicted of cervical cancer. These results only indicate the presence of abnormal cells in your cervix, which could be at the level of atypia (the mildest) to carcinoma in situ (cancer).
To clarify the diagnosis, you may be asked to repeat pap smears in the next 6 to 12 months to monitor cell changes. Alternatively, you might be encouraged to do a colposcopy or biopsy to see vaginal and cervical tissue more clearly.
