The importance of Pap smears for women

Patients with early-stage cervical cancer are usually unaware because they do not cause symptoms. Therefore early detection of cervical cancer with early screening needs to be done.

Pap smear as one of the early detection measures that must be carried out by all women who are married or have had sexual intercourse. Pap smears are considered to be the most effective way to detect cervical cancer for women. With Pap smear examination, the incidence of cancer and death due to cervical cancer can decrease.

Pap smear is a medical examination of the cervix which is useful for knowing signs of changes in the cervix. This examination is the easiest way to find out if a woman has the HPV virus (Human Papilloma Virus), which is one of the causes of cervical cancer. From the results of the pap smear examination will detect if there is a change in cell shape due to HPV infection. If cervical cancer is caught early, of course, treatment can be carried out more quickly and the risks experienced by patients are lighter. In addition to early detection of cervical cancer, the Pap Smear can also help detect the transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases.

When do you need a Pap Smear?

Pap smear examination is recommended at least once a year in a woman who is married or has had sexual intercourse. In general, women tend to be lazy to do Pap smears. This is because imagining the equipment being used, the pain and sometimes the embarrassment / discomfort that makes most women ignore this examination.

The right time to do a Pap Smear examination is a few days after menstruation and do not have sexual intercourse 3-5 days before the examination is carried out.
The pap smear examination process is actually quite easy and fast because taking samples does not require a long time. The procedure is also simple, simply by taking a sample in the cervical area using a speculum followed by using a spatula for sampling. The key is not to tense up, just relax.

From a pap smear examination, the results can be in the form of:

• Normal examination results: means that at the time of examination there were no changes in cervical cells. The examination can be repeated a year later.
• Abnormal examination results: means that when the examination was carried out, there were cell changes in the cervix (abnormal) which could be caused by HPV infection or other infections. So to make a diagnosis of cervical cancer, other tests need to be done, such as colposcopy. And if the infection is not caused by HPV but due to fungus or other germs, it can recover immediately after being treated by a doctor.

Pap smear examination does not cause side effects. Usually it will cause a little discomfort after the examination due to the speculum tool used and will disappear soon.

Given the importance of the Pap smear examination, it is recommended that all women who are married or have had sexual intercourse to routinely carry out this examination. Consult your Obgyn doctor to do a pap smear.