How to Prepare for Your Pap Smear

As a woman, your gynecologist will often recommend regular screening tests throughout your life, and one test most women have is a Pap test, or Pap smear.

Pap smears check for cervical cancer, which used to be one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in women in the US. However, because more women are now getting Pap tests, the death rate continues to drop.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the cancer death rate in 2000 was 2.8 per 100,000 women. That has fallen to 2.2 per 100,000 women as of 2019.

An estimated 14,100 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2022 in the US, and about 4,820 women will die from cervical cancer, according to estimates from the American Cancer Society.

Jenny Pennycook, MD, FACOG, a Phelps Health OB/GYN, shares tips on how to prepare for your next Pap smear.

• A Pap smear is a test where cervical cells are swiped from your cervix and sent to a lab to evaluate for cervical cancer.
• You should avoid putting anything in the vagina for two days before your Pap smear as any substances can obscure the Pap smear results.
• Try not to schedule your Pap smear during your menstrual cycle. However, if you are on your cycle and you want to keep your appointment, you can.
• The procedure shouldn't be painful, but it can be slightly uncomfortable. Emptying your bladder beforehand can be helpful.
• Make yourself as comfortable as possible on the table before starting. If you are scared or nervous, just let your doctor know so that we can try to make the process as easy as we can for you.
• You should start Pap screening at age 21. You should have a yearly checkup, but the Pap smears can be spaced out, depending on your risk. If you are older than age 65, you may not need to continue to get Pap smears, depending upon your personal risk factors.