STD GENITAL WARTS: HOW IS PAP SMEAR TAKEN?
Women whose immune systems are compromised, such as those infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), should have more frequent Pap smears, since they risk having a more rapid progression to cervical cancer. A Pap smear is generally recommended every six months for HIV-positive women, and more frequently if abnormalities are noted.
For a Pap smear, a sample of cells is taken from the surface of the cervix and then sent to a laboratory to be examined by a pathologist or technician for abnormalities. Newer evaluation techniques, such as the use of computers to help diagnose abnormal Pap smears, are being employed by some laboratories. Improved Pap collection techniques are also being studied. Currently cells are rubbed onto a slide, preserved with a fixative, and sent to the laboratory for review. A newer technique involves placing them into a solution before sending them, thus allowing the cells to better retain their shape and therefore making readings more accurate.
Health care providers must take an adequate specimen, so that there are enough cells for an accurate evaluation. This step is essential, and a woman should feel entirely free to ask her health care provider about it. This will be indicated on the result of the Pap smear that the laboratory issues. If an adequate specimen was not obtained, a repeat smear will be necessary.
Two types of cells are seen on the cervix: the columnar cells line the inside of the cervix and are also found in the uterus; the squamous cells are on the outside of the cervix and are also found in the vagina. They meet on the cervix in an area called the transformation zone or squamocolumnar junction, which may be inside the cervix in a woman over the age of thirty or on the outside of the cervix in a younger woman or a woman taking birth control pills. Cells for the Pap smear are taken from this area, since these rapidly dividing cells have the highest risk for changes that can lead to cervical cancer.
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