Why is it so important for women to have pap smears?
454404
Its really important to get a papsmear for a few different reasons.  First, they check for stuff like Ovarian Cancer, check your uterous, and overies.  its also to make sure that there isnt any other infections or diseases growing inside of you.  Even if you are healthy, active, and take precautions sexually, theres health risks that go beyond that, that may and need to be checked out.  It should be done about once a year, and can even be done in your regular Drs office, but a gyno is strongly reccomended.
344445
First off, a Pap Smear is very important, but it will not find an ovarian cyst or cancer.  A Pap detects cervical cancer and STDs which are seen due to changes in the cervix:\n\nThe Pap smear is not intended to detect other forms of cancer such as those of the ovary, vagina, or uterus.  http://www.medicinenet.com/pap_smear/article.htm\n\nThese are the symptoms of an ovarian cyst, and when you should call a doctor:\nMany women have ovarian cysts without having any symptoms. Sometimes, though, a cyst will cause these problems:\n\npressure, fullness, or pain in the abdomen \ndull ache in the lower back and thighs \nproblems passing urine completely \npain during sexual intercourse \nweight gain \npainful menstrual periods and abnormal bleeding \nnausea or vomiting \nbreast tenderness \nIf you have these symptoms, get help right away: \n\npain with fever and vomiting \nsudden, severe abdominal pain \nfaintness, dizziness, or weakness \nrapid breathing  http://www.4woman.gov/faq/ovarian_cysts.htm\n\nOvarian cysts can usually be seen with a pelvic ultrasound.  \n"The diagnosis of an ovarian cyst is usually conformed (or made) by ultrasound, the best imaging technique for ovarian cysts."  http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8432
1015792
Probably the first thing to keep in mind is, that a Pap smear is a screening test, and cannot be used to diagnose any disease or condition.  It can alert a doctor to a possible problem and there are many degrees of cervical dysplasia.  All that dysplasia means is, that the cells on the cervix are abnormal, and can be a possible pre-cancerous condition.  Your doctor will probably have you come in every 3-6 months for Pap smears to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't progress.  Everything will be OK if you are diligent about getting your Pap smears, because if caught early there are things that can be done to prevent complications.
123531
Let your friend know that like 75% of men carry HPV.... and it generally doesn't affect them, so they don't know they have it.... and don't get tested for it..... It's not something to be embarrassed about, but it is something to be careful about.... HPV leads to cervical dysplasia, which leads to cervical cancer, which can lead to major problems.... There's not much she can do about it now.... but she should have pap smears done every six months from now on just to make sure
1032408
No way! But, sometimes people don't know they have std's until they have it. Women rarely have symptoms and should have a pap smear done regularly. Men, I have heard have some type of symptoms, but I'm not sure exactly what they are. \nSince you are helping a group of kids, I think that is a great! Teens don't listen to their parents about sex and the dangers that is there. You might be able to get handouts from the Health Department or search for info on the Internet.\nGood Luck with your group!!
380625
Start when your period does. It's very important that you get a Pap once a year. It test for abnormalities. I hated going to the Gynecologist. I never went for my check ups. I ended up having to go because I got pregnant and found out I had Cervical Cancer. If I had not of gotten pregnant I would have been dead 2 years form now. I'm just trying to say be sure you go to a Gynecologist at least once a year. It could save your life.
1099703
The purpose of a pap is to detect earlier cell changes that could eventually turn into a possible cervical cancer.\n...Because a slight abnormality could be caused by a minor irritation, such as a slight yeast infection, your doctor will probably want to redo a pap to make sure there is no dysplagia (pre-cancer cells)\n...no worry, even if dsyplasia they usually can freeze your cervix and it will take care of it.
1019678
Women are supposed to see the gynecologist when they are 18 or sexually active, which ever is first.  Although everything seems normal to you, you should still get a yearly pap test to make sure.  There could be things that you can't detect, like cancerous cells, etc.  Its best to just play it safe and see a gynecologist.
910800
Well if you are schedule for a pap smear they will have to look at it.  Remember doctor's see these things all the time.  You might be more comfortable with a female doctor in future.
38096
well a pelvic exam for the most part is followed by a pap smear and the nurse needs to be there to assist the md. Also with all the frivolous lawsuits a doctor prefers a witness,Im a nures and I work in nursing homes and sometimes there are patients or patient`s family that will complain about evry little thing so then people refuse to go in there to provide cares by themselves without a witness. I think that for the same reason a doctor would like to have someone in exam rooms with them at all times. If you are uncomfortable then you should just say so,they also want to respect your wishes.
154058
No, cervical cancer does not have any symptoms.  That is why we get a Pap Smear every year.  It is a relatively inexpensive test, and can even detect pre-cancerous cells so your doctor can treat it in the earliest stages.
275316
Um, I think ya mean Pap Smears. The Doc places an instrument into the vagina to hold the vagina walls open, then inserts a long swab to collect a tissue sample to be analyzed by a lab. The whole procedure takes less than 5 minutes, and is slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. A pap smear is recommended at the start of your first menstrual cycle, then once every two years there on.
444693
You know, sweetie, I've worked in the medical field for 20 years and I've lost count of the girls coming for their first pap.  Here's what I tell them -\n\nFirst, you're doing the right thing.  So many simple things that can become bad things are discovered in a pap smear and prevented.  Plus if you're doing this to get birth control - bravo!  There's no shame in that, sex is the most natural thing in the world and you're taking control of your own life.\n\nSecond, and just as importantly - the human body is nothing to be ashamed of.  The doctor doesn't think any more of looking in your vagina than looking down your throat, and believe me, he's seen thousands.  It's so routine and is conducted so professionally that you should not feel embarrassed.  And everybody's pretty much looks the same.\n\nDeep breaths, try to relax and remember - it's the first thing that distinguishes you as a woman as opposed to a girl.  We all go through it, and after that first one you'll wonder what the fuss was about.
338435
Just because you had a paps smear last month. Doesn't mean that you shouldn't go back to the Dr. It might be a boil forming, or a wart? I would rather be safer than sorry.
897285
Cervical cancer is a malignancy of the cervix. Worldwide, it is the second most common cancer of women. It may present with vaginal bleeding but symptoms may be absent until the cancer is in advanced stages, which has made cervical cancer the focus of intense screening efforts utilizing the Pap smear. Most scientific studies have found that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is responsible for >90% of the cases of cervical cancer. There are 7 most common types of HPV - 16, 18, 31, 33, 42, 52 and 58. Types 16 and 18 being the most common cause of the cancer. Treatment is with surgery (including local excision) in early stages and chemotherapy and radiotherapy in advanced stages of the disease. An effective vaccine for the two most common strains of HPV has recently been licenced.\n\nSigns and symptoms\nThe early stages of cervical cancer may be completely asymptomatic (Canavan & Doshi, 2000). Vaginal bleeding, contact bleeding or (rarely) a vaginal mass may indicate the presence of malignancy. In advanced disease, metastases may be present in the abdomen, lungs or elsewhere.\n\nThe possibility to identify premalignant changes on a cervical smear has made screening the major cause for referral of women with possible cervical neoplasia. In many countries, women are advised to have a regular Pap smear to check for premalignant changes. Recommendations for how often a Pap smear should be done vary from once a year to once every five years. If cervical cancer is detected early, it can be treated without impairing fertility. Consistently abnormal smears may be a reason for further diagnosis despite complete absence of symptoms.\n\nCervical cancer is staged by the FIGO staging system, which is based on clinical examination, rather than surgical findings. It allows only the following diagnostic tests to be used in determining the stage: palpation, inspection, colposcopy, endocervical curettage, hysteroscopy, cystoscopy, proctoscopy, intravenous urography, and X-ray examination of the lungs and skeleton, and cervical conization.\n\nEarly stages (IB1 and IIA less than 4 cm) can be treated with radical hysterectomy with removal of the lymph nodes or radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is given as external beam radiotherapy to the pelvis and brachytherapy (internal radiation). For patients treated with surgery who have high risk features found on pathologic examination, radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy is given in order to reduce the risk of relapse.\n\nLarger early stage tumors (IB2 and IIA more than 4 cm) may be treated with radiation therapy and cisplatin-based chemotherapy, hysterectomy (which then usually requires adjuvant radiation therapy), or cisplatin chemotherapy followed by hysterectomy.\n\nAdvanced stage tumors (IIB-IVA) are treated with radiation therapy and cisplatin-based chemotherapy.\n\nThe cases should be referred immediately to an eminent Oncologist and treated as -\nCANCER IS STILL AN ENIGMA - and we can  not take chances-.
39803
Well when you go for a gynocology checkup, they will often do a papsmear to make sure everything is alright. If this comes back abnormally, it will be tested for cancer through what is called a colposcopy, which you can read about here: http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/cevicalconditions/a/colposcopy.htm
784601
Yes. It is perfectly safe to have the pap smear done. Not only safe, but sensible.  You could have an infection from the miscarriage, and would certainly want to have the all clear before you tried again.  Anytime after your cycles reset and the normal pattern resestablishes itself you can have one done.  You might also want to check with your doctor, as it is quite possible that a pap smear was taken when they did the first ob check.  If that was the case, you won't need to do another one for a year.