It's important for women of reproductive age to have regular pap smear tests performed.
A pap test, also called a pap smear, is performed by a doctor to check cervical cells for abnormalities. A swab of cervical cells is taken and sent to a lab to be diagnosed.
Cervical Cell Abnormalities
Pap tests can detect abnormalities such as inflammation or a change in the normal shape of cervical cells. Often, any abnormalities found will result in further testing to determine the cause.
Cervical Cancer
A pap smear can find cancerous or precancerous cells in the cervix. Cervical cancer or precancerous cells may be detected in the squamous cells lining the cervix or the glandular cells that produce mucus at the cervical opening.
Yeast and Bacterial Infection
Yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis, both common vaginal infections, can be diagnosed in a pap smear by the technician finding specific types of inflammation and possibly seeing the microorganisms in the sample.
Viral Infections
The pap test can detect the possible presence of viral infections, such as human papilloma virus, since some viruses cause recognizable changes to cervical cells.
Considerations
False negative results sometimes occur, indicating that there is no problem when the woman actually has cancerous or precancerous cells present. False positives are also possible and for these a repeat test is usually done.
Tags: cervical cells, precancerous cells, cancerous precancerous, cancerous precancerous cells
