Pap smears are one of the most effective ways to prevent cervical cancer. They are free and can be done at your local health care clinic. Women and men who are age 25 to 69 should be screened every three years with this test.
Benefits of Pap Smear
The most important benefit of the Pap smear is its ability to find cervical cell changes before they develop into cancer. This can lead to less treatment and time spent recovering from the disease.
It also decreases the risk of death from cervical cancer by 80%. This is especially true for unscreened women, who have a much higher risk of dying from the disease.
This test can also help detect sexually transmitted diseases and infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. It can also identify HIV, which is a serious infection that causes serious illnesses.
Other benefits include lower rates of ovarian cancer, and better pregnancy outcomes. If you have a history of high risk of developing cervical cancer, such as having a family history or other risk factors, it may be important for you to get regular screenings, including Pap smears and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing.
Pap smears are a quick, easy procedure that can be painless for most people. During the test, your provider inserts an instrument called a speculum into your vagina to allow them to view your cervix. They use a wooden spatula and small brush to collect cells from the cervix and vaginal canal. These cells are then sent to a laboratory where they are studied and classified by a pathologist.