Important Info: The Pap Smear
That yearly routine is so annoying and such a big deal but it's very important in a woman's life.
I like most women can't stand the thought of seeing the GYN, the process is a bit embarrassing and very uncomfortable. But at the end of the day it could save your life.
Pap Smear At A Glance
A Pap smear is a simple, quick, and essentially painless screening test.
Cells collected from a woman's cervix are spread on a microscope slide for examination.
The cells are evaluated for abnormalities, specifically for pre- cancerous and cancerous changes.
Pap smears are recommended for all women starting at age 21 years or within 3 years of becoming sexually active, whichever comes first.
Most women over age 30 who have had reliable Pap screening with persistently normal results can be screened less often than yearly.
Pap smears should not be performed in women who have had a total hysterectomy for benign conditions and had prior normal Pap smears.
The Pap smear is read (analyzed) according to a uniform standardized system known as the Bethesda System.
A recording of the woman's menstruation status and whether and when she had abnormal Pap smears previously, is essential to the reader of the current Pap smear.
If a Pap smear is interpreted as abnormal, there are a number of different management and treatment options including colposcopy, conization, cryocauterization, laser therapy, and large-loop excision of the transformation zone.
All of these procedures have essentially the same overall cure rate of over 90%.
All of these procedures have essentially the same overall cure rate of over 90%.
Screening guidelines recommend that most women over 65-70 years old who have had regular Pap screening with negative results can stop having Pap tests, because abnormal Pap smears are very unusual in this setting.
Up to 80% of women diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix have not had a Pap smear in the past 5 years.
It is critically important to recognize that the women who are at highest risk for abnormal Pap smear testing are those who are not getting regular Pap testing. Therefore, it follows that in order to improve overall cervical cancer screening, women who are not getting regular Pap smears should be educated about and offered Pap testing. These under-served women should be the most heavily targeted for Pap screening.
Between 60% and 80% of American women who are newly diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer have not had a Pap smear in the past five years and may never have had one. Women who have not had Pap smear screening tend to be concentrated in certain population groups including:
Older women;
The uninsured;
Ethnic minorities, especially Latino, African American, and Asian American women;
Poor women; and
Women in rural areas.
Many physicians feel that the emphasis should be on universal access to proper Pap screening as opposed to the comparatively small benefit that would come from utilizing the newer technologies in women already undergoing screening. Cervical cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer worldwide. It is also one of the most preventable and treatable cancers
Cancer of the cervix is a preventable disease.
Between 60% and 80% of American women who are newly diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer have not had a Pap smear in the past five years and may never have had one. Women who have not had Pap smear screening tend to be concentrated in certain population groups including:
Older women;
The uninsured;
Ethnic minorities, especially Latino, African American, and Asian American women;
Poor women; and
Women in rural areas.
Many physicians feel that the emphasis should be on universal access to proper Pap screening as opposed to the comparatively small benefit that would come from utilizing the newer technologies in women already undergoing screening. Cervical cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer worldwide. It is also one of the most preventable and treatable cancers
Cancer of the cervix is a preventable disease.
Source: Medical AuthorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Photo Source:http://www.health24.com/images/zones/papsmear/papsmearstep02.jpg
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