The Christmas season may have conjured thoughts of what people want as gifts, but sometimes the most important gift is self-care and taking time to schedule health screenings.
Dr. Donna Adams-Pickett, obstetrician-gynecologist and owner of Augusta Women’s Health & Wellness Center, provides insight into the pap test (pap smear) and the purpose of the cervical screening that can potentially be a life-saving test for women.
Q: What is the purpose of the procedure and how is it done?
A: The pap test is to screen for the presence of abnormal cells in the cervix that could become cancerous. A small brush is used to scrape cells from the center of the cervical canal.
Q: What is a doctor looking for?
A: The doctor is looking for cells that have the potential to become cancerous many years before it actually become cancer. Cervical cancer is quite silent otherwise.
Q: What is the recommended age to begin getting a pap test?
A: It is recommended that women begin paps at the age of 21.
Q: At what age can women stop getting pap smears?
A: Though current guidelines are that women can stop getting pap smears after the age of
65, some can argue that if a patient has a new sexual partner at that age she may
consider discussing with her provider if a pap smear is still merited.
Q: How often should pap tests be taken?
A: The frequency of pap smears will be based on a patient’s history and the results of her
previous pap smears. A patient with no increased risk of disease and
who has had a normal pap smear can go three to five years between pap smears. It is important
to underscore that the patient should still have an annual pelvic examination even if she
is not due to have a pap smear that year.
Q: What are signs or symptoms of gynecological issues that should be reported to a
doctor?
A: Bleeding after intercourse, persistent unpleasant vaginal discharge and/or odor, bladder
pain or bleeding with urination.
Q: What can be detected from a pap test?
A: Pap tests can also detect the presence of strains of Human Papillomavirus that can
cause cervical cancer. It is routinely tested in women 30 and older and it is tested for if a patient’s initial
pap smear shows abnormal cells.
Q: What is HPV?
A: Human Papillomavirus is a virus that is a common organism found in men that when
transmitted sexually to women can cause cervical cancer.
Q: What preventative measures can be taken if a woman tests positive for HPV?
A: She can obtain the HPV vaccine if she is 45 or younger. She can stop smoking. She
can take immune boosters like vitamin C and Lysine.
Q: What should be done if a woman has HPV?
A: There are 150 strains of HPV, but not all can cause cancer. Fourteen strains have been associated with cancer. When HPV is detected, it is typically identified to determine if it is a type that can cause cervical cancer. If the patient is 45 or under, she can get the HPV vaccine which will boost her immune system to suppress the virus’ activity. HPV is the main causative agent of cervical cancer. Smoking accelerates the capability of the virus to cause cancer.
Q: Is cervical cancer fast or slow-growing?
A: Cervical cancer is slow-growing. The pap smear allows us to identify cervical changes
years before it grows into cancer.
Q: What are some benefits of staying on top of pap smears?
A: Timely pap smears allow patients to identify cervical cells when they first become
abnormal long before they graduate to full-blown cancer cells. If we can identify
those cells early, they can be removed before they become cancerous.
Q: What is a woman’s main strategy or a tip to keep her cervix healthy?
A: Condom usage; immune boosters; avoid smoking; decrease the number of sexual
partners; and get the HPV vaccine.Visit https://www.augustawomenshealth.com to obtain more information about Augusta Women’s Health & Wellness Center.
Amazing Article. Incredibly informative. Thank you Dr. Donna Adams-Pickett for this great article.
This obviously can be life saving information for many, and as such, is incredibly important.