PAP Test

Your doctor or health provider performs a Pap smear to look for cervical and/or vaginal cells that are cancerous or could be potentially pre-cancerous. The smeared cells or cell suspension is placed on a glass slide, stained with a special dye (Pap stain), and viewed under a microscope by a cytotechnologist or pathologist. The Pap test can also be used to detect vaginal or uterine infections. This allows infections to be treated promptly, thus avoiding further discomfort or more serious complications. When a Pap smear is ordered, an HPV DNA test also may be requested for women over the age of 30.