What is a Pap smear?

Cervical smear is actually a common gynecological examination in clinical practice. This examination is also called cervical liquid-based cytology examination. A cervical smear may be required in the diagnosis of many diseases, but many people in life do not know much about cervical smears, so many errors or detours may occur in the process of seeking medical treatment. It is recommended to conduct targeted examinations and diagnoses based on the physical condition. So what exactly is a cervical smear?

1. Cervical smear, also known as cervical scraping and cervical liquid-based cytology examination. It uses special small wool yarn to scrape the exfoliated epithelial cells of the cervix, and observe the morphology and cell nucleus of the cervical cells under a microscope. It is referred to as cervical TCT examination. This is a preliminary test to rule out cancer and can detect abnormal cervical cells. If atypical epithelial cells are found, further HPV testing should be performed. If the HPV infection is positive, the next step is a colposcopy and multiple cervical biopsies. The cervical smear test is very simple and the whole process only takes 3 to 6 minutes. This diagnostic method will not cause damage to the cervix or cause pain.

2. Suitable population: Women who have had sexual life for three years or who are 21 years old or above should undergo this examination regularly. Normally, inspections are done once a year. Some women are very susceptible to cervical cancer and should pay more attention to the positive significance of cervical smears, such as: women who marry and have children early, women with a history of miscarriage or sexually transmitted diseases, women who give birth multiple times, women with rich sex lives with different partners, or women with poor living habits. With the help of this examination, it is estimated that the mortality rate from cervical cancer has been reduced by 70%.

3. Note: The commonly used cervical smear methods currently include the traditional Pap method and TCT. The person being examined should avoid sexual intercourse within 24 hours before the smear. Do not douche, use vaginal suppositories, or perform intravaginal examinations within 24 to 48 hours before the planned examination. When there is inflammation, treatment should be performed first, and then the scraping should be performed to avoid the slide being filled with a large number of white blood cells and inflammatory cells, which would affect the diagnosis. The examination was scheduled during the non-menstrual period.