Pap Smear Is Serious Business
A Pap smear is an important examination that is quite well known, not just among women but also among men. Your dad and boyfriend may have heard of this too. It is a test used to catch abnormal changes in the woman’s cervix. Your mom and older sisters may have probably undergone at least one Pap smear.
The Pap smear is a shortened term for Papanicolau smear. It is a screening test used to check for any changes in the woman’s cervix. The cervix is the knoblike structure of the uterus which holds the baby during pregnancy. This is the part of the uterus that opens to the vagina. The cervix undergoes changes throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle and also during pregnancy.
A Pap smear is done by a skilled doctor or an OB/GYNE. Samples of the cervical discharge or mucus from the cervix are obtained by inserting a cotton tipped swab and rotating it on the surface of the cervix. The samples are then spread on a glass slide and viewed under an instrument called the microscope. The microscope allows the examiner to see the components of the discharge. The Pap smear is used to detect if cervical cancer or an infection is present at the time of the examination.
How often should a Pap smear be done?
The Pap smear is used to check for diseases of the cervix in women who have no previous disease of the cervix such as cervical cancer. There are a few guidelines used by doctors when performing a Pap smear. The first Pap smear is generally done about three years after the first sexual intercourse. Some guidelines consider doing a Pap smear
every 2 to 3 years while some allow Pap smear examination for sexually active women every year until the age of 30.
What is an abnormal Pap smear?
When doing a Pap smear, the examiner usually checks for any abnormal cells. Abnormal cells appear differently from normal ones. They may appear to be more irregular in size and shape and may also stain with special dyes. The presence of abnormal cells may indicate that cervical cancer or an infection may be present. Before you start worrying, it is good to know that not all abnormal Pap smear findings mean that cervical cancer is present.
Abnormal Pap Smear Results
Pap smear findings may contain medical terms that sound scarier than they ought to. Here are the common ones and what they mean:
- Atypical Squamous Cell. This means that abnormal cells seen in the Pap smear may be due to more common causes like infections. These cells may also develop into cancer.
- Dysplasia. This means that the cells obtained from your Pap smear are abnormal. Dysplasia is not cancer. However, dysplasia may, but do not always develop into cervical cancer.
Types of Dysplasia
- SIL. Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion. This means that thin flat cells on the outer surface of your cervix are found to be abnormal. Like dysplasia, SIL especially the more severe forms may develop into early cervical cancer.
- CIN. Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia. This means that abnormal growths have been noted on the cervix. The abnormal changes are only present on the outermost surface of the cervix.
- Carcinoma in situ (CIS). This is not cervical cancer. This is a severe form of SIL which tells you that cells likely to develop into cancer are limited on the surface of the cervix and have not invaded deeper layers.
Pap Smear Abnormal: Alert!!!
When the Pap smear shows abnormal findings, your doctor may do the following:
- Give medications such as Estrogen Cream. Abnormalities in the cervix may be more common during menopause when sex hormones such as estrogen drop low. If low estrogen causes the abnormal changes in the cervix, the results should improve after applying estrogen cream.
- Do a Colposcopy. When doing a colposcopy, you doctor will use an instrument called a colposcope to examine the cervix. During the procedure, your doctor will apply mild vinegar solution on the surface of the cervix. Areas that turn white after the solution is applied are considered abnormal.
- Do a biopsy by removing a small portion of the surface of the cervix and sending them to the laboratory for assessment. Through a biopsy, your doctor will be able to tell if the abnormality found during a Pap smear or colposcopy is due to cancer or not.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer points to an abnormal growth in the cervix. The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus. It is a knoblike structure with a surface rich in cells. These cells may become cancerous when exposed to certain organisms like the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), smoking and sexually transmitted infections.
Increasing Cervical Cancer Risk
The following factors have been found to increase a woman’s chance of developing cervical cancer:
- Human Papilloma Virus Infection. HPV infection is the most common cause of cervical cancer. The virus that causes cervical cancer belongs to the same family of viruses that causes your common wart. Unprotected sex may increase the chance of getting HPV infection since a person may be able to get the infection through contact with infected skin. Many women are infected by this virus but not all will develop cervical cancer. The Pap smear will be able to show if an HPV infection is likely to be present.
- Having sex at an early age.
- Having multiple sex partners or having a partner with multiple sex partners.
- Genes. If a family member or relative had cervical cancer, you may have a higher chance of developing cervical cancer in the future.
- Smoking. Smokers are more likely to develop cervical cancer and other types of cancers as well.
- Pregnancies. Several pregnancies and childbirths may increase the chance of getting cervical cancer. The reason for this is not very clear.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). There seems to be a close link between certain types of STI’s and the development of cervical cancer.
- Weak Immune System. Stress and too much dieting may weaken your immune system. Some women, although infected with HPV, may not develop cervical cancer because their bodies’ main line of defense, which is the immune system, is strong enough to fight the infection. When the immune system collapses, a woman may have a higher chance of developing cervical cancer.
- Diet. A diet that lacks fruits and vegetables may lead to poor nutrition which can weaken the immune system.
Preventing Cervical Cancer
Playing safe and protecting yourself is the best form of cure. Here are a few suggestions on how to beat the odds of getting the big cervical C.
- Protect yourself during sex.
- Delay sex till a later age.
- Stop smoking.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Stay fit.
- Have your Pap smear done.
- Get vaccinated. Vaccines that may be used to prevent cervical cancer are available in the market. They may be a bit expensive but little girls as young as 9 years old may start getting vaccinated. You may ask your doctors about this.
