Gourt > Health > Women's Health > Pelvic Exams and Pap Tests
A pap smear (also called Pap test and smear test) is a medical screening test for detecting pre-cancerous changes (termed dyskaryosis derived from Greek, meaning 'bad-nut') and thus aims to prevent the development of cancer and other abnormalities in the female genital tract by sampling cells from the cervix with an Aylesbury spatula or (more frequently with the advent of liquid-based cytology) a plastic-fronded broom. The cells are placed on a glass slide and checked for abnormalities in the laboratory. The test is simple and effective.
Since the mid-1990s, techniques based around placing the sample into a vial containing a liquid medium which preserves the cells have been increasingly used. The media are primarily ethanol based. Two of the types are Sure-Path (Medical Solutions) and Thin-Prep (Cytyc Corp). Once placed into the vial, it is usually sent to the laboratory. There, the sample is processed at the laboratory and placed onto a glass slide there.
The sample is stained using the Papanicolaou technique, in which tinctorial dyes and acids are selectively retained by cells. The aim of the staining technique is to aid identification of the abnormal or dyskaryotic cells by them staining differently to the benign cells.
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Cervical Cancer
Gynecology
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Meta Description: [ Analysis of results, tests, causes, treatments, and a gallery of Abnormal Pap Smear pictures, including links. ]
Abnormal Pap Smears: What Every Woman Needs to Know - Book by Lynda Rushing, M.D. and Nancy Joste, M.D. about pap smears test results and the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its connection to cervical dysplasia and cancer. Site includes excerpt from the book, ordering information, and profiles of the authors.
Meta Description: [ Lynda Rushing, M.D. & Nancy Joste, M.D. write about Pap smears test results, the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its connection to cervical dysplasia & cancer. ]
About.com: Abnormal Pap Smears - Describes possible causes of abnormal test results, how a pap smear looks, and ways to prevent the risk of cancer.
Meta Description: [ Abnormal Pap smears do not always indicate cervical cancer. Learn about diagnostic and treatment procedures often utilized when you have an abnormal Pap smear result. ]
About.com: Colposcopy: What Is It? - Describes the procedure used for further evaluation of abnormal pap smear results.
Meta Description: [ Colposcopy is a common gynecology follow-up for abnormal Pap smears. Learn what happens before, during, and after colposcopy. ]
eMedicine Health - Colposcopy - Consumer health resource center providing information on the risks and benefits of these procedures.
Meta Description: [ Colposcopy is the direct magnified inspection of the surface of a woman's genital area, including the cervix, vagina, and vulva, using a light source and a binocular microscope. Doctors use ... ]
eMedicine Health - Pap Smear - Consumer health resource center providing information on pap smears.
Meta Description: [ Cancer of the cervix (cervical cancer) is the second most common cause of cancer-related disease and death among women worldwide. The best way to detect cervical cancer is by having ... ]
Feminist Women's Health Center: Gynecological Self-Exam - Shows how to do a cervical or vaginal self-exam and identify problems. Also lists benefits of self-exams.
Meta Description: [ Feminist Women's Health Center provides empowering information about abortion and reproductive freedom - so women may determine their own destinies. Pro-choice.
Covers abortion, birth control, feminism, contraception, menopause, breast health, menstruation, family planning, HIV, emergency cont... ]
Gynecologic Oncology: All About Pap Tests - Describes the procedure, evaluation process, treatment, and possible errors with the test.
Having a Pelvic Exam and Pap Test - Information from the National Cancer Institute about what to expect. Also includes advice from other women.
Medinfo: Smear Test (Cervical Smear) - Information from a United Kingdom general practitioner about procedure, results, and follow-up techniques.
Meta Description: [ Medinfo's patient information on the smear test (cervical smear, pap smear), a screening test which allows doctors to predict those women who are likely to develop cancer of the neck of the womb (carcinoma of the cervix) in time to prevent it developing. ]
MerckSource - Pap Smear - Learn about the papanicolaou test, a test conducted for cervical cancer. Includes how it is performed and how to prepare for it.
Meta Description: [ Find information on Pap smear at MerckSource. Learn more about Pap smear, A Pap smear is a microscopic examination of cells scraped from the cervix. ]
Pap Smears: What They Are and What the Results Mean - Information from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) about the types of changes an abnormal test can show.
Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear - Information from the San Francisco Department of Public Health about the procedure and results and their relation to genital warts.
Questions and Answers About the Pap Test - Fact sheet from the National Health Center.
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Should I Have a Pap Smear? - Information from the American Society for Clinical Pathology about the test's relation to cervical cancer and results of the test.
The Female Pelvis - Slides from a clinical skills class describing the pelvic exam procedure.
The Pap Examination: It Can Save Your Life - Information from the College of American Pathologists about the value of the exam, when to have it, and how to determine if a laboratory is accredited.
The ThinPrep Pap Test - Women's Health Center - Information about women's health, cervical cancer screening and the ThinPrep Pap Test.
Meta Description: [ Cytyc Corporation is a premier medical device company that provides products primarily focused on women's health. Cytyc products cover a wide range of women's health applications including cervical cancer screening, breast cancer risk assessment and treatment of excessive menstrual bleeding. ]
Women's Health Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear - Information from University Health Services at Pennsylvania State University about what to expect with a pelvic exam.
