Pap Smear

A Pap smear, or Pap test, is a routine part of annual well woman exams at PGOMG. Pap tests screen for abnormalities that would indicate the presence of cervical cancer. While performing a pap test, PGOMG providers will collect cells from a patient’s cervix, and these cells will be sent to a lab for analysis. If the lab reports that a pap test is abnormal, PGOMG will perform more tests in order to determine why the cells are exhibiting abnormalities.

Most women do not have abnormal Pap smear results, but for those who do, PGOMG will take the necessary steps to determine if cells are either simply abnormal or if they are possibly cancerous. Treatment of an abnormal pap test can include: Colposcopy, cervical biopsy, or a LEEP procedure.

Another potential cause of an abnormal pap smear is HPV. The human papilloma virus has recently been linked to cervical cancer and, if present in a patient, can lead to pap abnormalities. For these reasons, PGOMG highly recommends that patients under the age of 26 receive the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, at our practice.

Often referred to as the “common cold” of sexual activity, the HPV virus is not treatable once contracted, and it is very easily contracted via skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. If you are interested in the HPV vaccine, or simply have questions about the HPV virus or abnormal Pap smear results, please contact a care provider at PGOMG.

Return to our Gynecological Care page.