Cervical Smear (Pap Smear) Test

Women who have had sex experience should undergo regular cervical smear (or Pap smear) tests. The procedure is simple. The doctor inserts a speculum into the vagina so that the cervix (the neck of the womb) can be seen. The doctor then uses a special plastic broom-like device to collect cells from the cervix for examination in a laboratory. The cervical smear test aims at detecting any early changes in the cells of the cervix. If there is any abnormality detected, the condition can be treated before it becomes a cancer. This screening has been proven to effectively reduce cervical cancer.