Pap test or Pap smear is a procedure that is done for women to test for the presence of cervical cancer. The doctors recommend this test for every woman above 21 years who is sexually active.
Dr. Garima Tyagi too emphasizes this and stresses that it is an important test that no woman should miss. This test should be done once a year until the age of 35 even if the results of the tests are not positive. After this age, if three tests are not positive the test can be taken once in three years but it is necessary to be screened for cervical cancer.
Usually, it is the opinion that cancer strikes at an old age but in the case of cervical cancer it is found to be more prevalent in the young woman says this doctor practicing in Shree Narayan Hospital Ghaziabad.
There is nothing to fear about this test. A few cells are collected and tested for the presence of any kind of abnormal cells in the cervix. If there are none the chances of getting cancer is very remote, yet you need to continue this test as recommended by your doctor to be on the safer side.
In case there are some abnormal cells a further test is done on the type of these cells and then it is decided whether they are cancer forming cells. If the cells are found to be cancer forming the treatment is immediately started so as to stop their spreading and causing full-fledged cancer.
If you had not taken the pap smear test this would not be known about the presence of such cells. And in a few years time when it is too late and you would see some other physical symptoms that point out to be cancer. Then the cure would not be available and this can take away the life of the woman. If she is too young and she loses her life the family also will suffer.
So on the recommendation of your gynecologist you need to go through this pap smear test and be on the safer side. The doctor can decide the time of the test and may recommend some dos and don’ts before the test. Following this is important because the test result will be near perfect.