Women come for their annual visit and pap smears all the time. Yet many women don’t even understand why they are getting the pap smear or what it actually is. The pap test is basically a test of the cells of the cervix. The purpose is to screen for changes in the cells that may lead to cervical cancer, which is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Today, many pap tests are done along with a test for the high risk types HPV. The report your doctor receives will often give both results. Now, if you are a young woman in your late teens or an adolescent who is sexually active, you’ll need to discuss with the doctor when you should start the pap screenings. Here are my suggestions for your visit.
- First of all, ask the doctor when you need to start getting the pap test or when you no longer need the pap test.
- If you’ve never had one before, don’t be afraid to ask the doctor to walk you through step by step what happens during this exam.
- If you are getting your pap, ask the doctor how long it will be before you receive results. This usually takes about 1-2 weeks. You should call the doctor if you do not hear about the results. Ask if you need more frequent screenings based on your results and/or other risks.
- Ask if you will also be tested for gonorrhea or chlamydia on the pap. Very often, the labs will be able to test for these infections from the pap sample. You can also ask for the HPV testing if the lab does not automatically do this.
- Also, ask if you qualify for the Gardasil vaccine. This is the vaccine that protects against the 4 common types of the HPV that causes cervical cancer and genital warts. Remember there are many different types of HPV and the vaccine does not protect against them all.
- This is also a good opportunity to talk to the doctor about any concerns you have about sexually transmitted infections, birth control or family planning.
I’ll do a separate post on the Gardasil vaccine. I get a lot of parents asking whether this is a good idea for their teenage daughter.